Little Family
by foodnetworkstar
Summary: A/U: Inuyasha and Kagome's family grows in time, starting with a little child who needs parents to teach him to love.
1. Chapter 1

A/N: _The Lucky Ones_ is one of my favorite Inuyasha fanfictions of all time, and I am drawing inspiration from it, along with every other story where a little hanyou is found and needing more love. MOAR LOVE.

I read somewhere that Inuyasha was based off of the Akita inu (and I love that breed of dog more than anything in the world), so I was inspired to ask myself 'what if there was a red Akita hanyou', and I'm taking it and running.

Also, I want to make it a little bit like post-canon, but I am definitely making it AU. (There is a baby and Kagome can go back through the well, because Mama Higarashi is life.)

When Kagome had first come back through the well, both she and Inuyasha had figured it was a one-way trip. The well was closed now. They had never once considered to even try to go back down it, nor did they even give it much of a second thought.

The had quickly settled into their new norm, Kagome apprenticing under Kaede to take over as the village priestess, and Inuyasha maintaining his position as the village guardian.

Kagome hadn't been that surprised to find out that Inuyasha had taken to making sure that everyone in the village was safe, and there were no threats lurking in his forest. What had surprised her is his involvement in other areas of the village. He planted rice and built homes with the village men. He cleaned up larger kills, and sometimes even smaller ones like fish, for the village women. He carried anything to heavy for any of the elder's to where ever they needed it.

What surprised her the most was when it came to bartering, and Inuyasha was the mindful eye making sure everyone got a fair deal.

"You're really involved around here, Inuyasha," she remarked one day in passing.

Inuyasha had simply responded, "It's my home."

Kaede was the watchful eye that reminded Kagome of Inuyasha's standing in the community whenever she seemed to forget. "People used to be so scared of him, Kagome. But you taught them, and me, that he was to be trusted and let into our lives. He is invaluable to us now, and he is part of our community."

Kagome was also miffed by Inuyasha's willingness to let Sango and Miroku's girls mess with him. The Inuyasha she knew would never have allowed toddlers to climb all over him and make squealing noises that startled her with her human hearing. But the Inuyasha of now did, and sometimes would even let the girls take a nap on his knee.

Sango had told Kagome that Inuyasha had stayed away at first when the girls were born, but one day he came back and never quite left. "Miroku had gone the village over to help with an exorcism, and Inuyasha just came over for dinner. He held one of the girls all night for me, switching with me as necessary. I don't know, Kagome. It was like he suddenly realized that they were also a part of our family."

"They sure do love their Uncle Inuyasha," Miroku had commented once while the girls snored on Inuyasha's knee.

Inuyasha had grunted in response and said nothing further, making Kagome think that maybe Inuyasha loved them just as much.

Kagome had been back for a few months, before Inuyasha built her a home. She had been suspicious it was in the works for a while, but wisely said nothing to him, as it was also probable he was doing it by himself.

Kagome had found out about the structure from Kaede who told her that one of the younger village men had found it while out trapping, and was appalled Inuyasha hadn't asked him for help. "Inuyasha has helped built or fix nearly every building standing. I think the men were hurt he hadn't asked them for help."

Inuyasha had grumbled and carried on that he didn't need anyone's help, because it was his home for his Kagome, but the village men had ignored him and done as they pleased.

Within a week of Kagome learning she had a home being made in the forest, she was moving into her home and welcoming guests who brought household items for the newly married couple.

When Sango and Miroku visited, baby and toddlers in tow, Inuyasha was proud to show his friend around his new home.

"I'm going to put Kagome's garden here," he pointed just a stone's throw outside the front door, "and a bucket for washing right here," he pointed to just next to the door. "I've already got the fire pit installed, but I think when the traveling salesman comes back, I might try to get the supplies to make some tatami mats. I think that would look nice on the floor."

Miroku hummed to indicate he was listening, but if he had any thoughts of his friend's plans for the new home, he said nothing.

Sango however was quick to tally up what was still needed, and tell Kagome. Kagome took her advice to heart, eager to learn how to manage a household of her very own. "Have Inuyasha build you a little rack to dry herbs on. One that can go outside in the summer, but move inside in the winter. Sometimes you can still dig up good herbs in the snow." Sango patted the lightly fussing baby in her arms, now entering a big growing phase and uncomfortable in his own skin.

"Do you think we will need more pots and dishes than this? I have two pots, and they are pretty big, but that's about it. I have quite a few bowls from different women." Kagome showed Sango her wedding gifts from villagers.

"Not until you have extra mouths to feed, you won't." Sango assured her.

Before they departed, Miroku announced that Inuyasha and Kagome should have a ceremony in the village, and he was happy to officiate. Inuyasha had balked and tried to protest, but Miroku ignored whatever warbling words had escaped his friend's mouth.

Kagome readily agreed, thinking back to how Kaede had told her that Inuyasha was a part of the community. It was agreed that the next day a small ceremony in front of the small shrine would happen.

Inuyasha had trudged down to the village that morning, releasing all the theatrics he was capable of to show Kagome his level of displeasure, but once the village men started to congratulate him on his wedding, he changed his tune and told them all to come to watch.

Which was exactly how the 'small ceremony' turned into the whole village crowding the entire area around the small shrine, and Miroku having to shout out the prayers over the newlyweds.

The party and drinking that ensued carried on into the early morning the next day, and Kagome swore she had never felt so happy in her entire life.

It was six months into living in the feudal era as a married couple that they discovered the well was still open to them to travel.

It had happened quite unexpectedly one day. Miroku and Inuyasha had been taking the twins for a walk, and Kagome was taking care of the baby boy at her home to give their mother a break. The twins were leading the walk, meandering as they pleased with their father and uncle keeping watchful eye on them.

They had made it back to the bone eaters well without the men thinking much of it, where the girls were playing with each other and running around. They had managed to rope Inuyasha into playing along with them, as he rarely denied them anything besides direct access to his ears.

They were rather sly girls, much like their father, and had, while playing peek-a-boo with their favorite uncle, gotten him to balance on the ledge of the well. While he had his eyes covered pretending he couldn't see them, they each shoved a leg with all their might, and toppled him into the well. They squealed in delight at having gotten the upper hand on their beloved uncle. But instead of him jumping out to playfully startle them, a bright blue light flashed.

Miroku had rushed over from where he had been resting in the shade as soon as he saw the light, but knew there was nothing to be done- Inuyasha was on the other side of the well. Sighing loudly and scooping up his girls, one in each arm, he made his way to Kagome and Inuyasha's home to tell Kagome.

"What do you mean he's gone?" Kagome stared at the monk, one eyebrow high on her forehead. The baby at her chest was asleep, having finally given into his body's demands for rest. The girls were back to chasing each other, seemingly to have forgotten their favorite uncle was gone and nonplussed that they had been taken somewhere else.

"I'm afraid they pushed him down the well, and now he's gone." Miroku reached and picked up his son from Kagome's embrace, tucking him carefully against his chest and rocking him to stay asleep.

"Well, where did he go?"

"Down the well, I suppose."

"The well is closed, Miroku. He couldn't have gone down it." Kagome crossed her arms and regarded the man in front of her. "I can't believe you lost my husband."

"I didn't lose him, the girls did." Miroku dropped a kiss to the baby's head as he snuffled and nuzzled closer to his father.

Kagome turned to look at the girls. "Ayame, Suzume. Where did Uncle Inuyasha go?"

The girls stopped playing and looked at their beloved aunt. Ayame, the far more vocal girl, spoke first. "With the blue light."

"Poof!" Suzume added with a flourish of the arms above her head.

Kagome paused before turning back to Miroku. Kagome opened her mouth to scold him, but found that she was speechless. The robed man shrugged before holding out an arm to his girls. "Let's go find Mama, girls. Aunt Kagome needs to find her husband."

With that, Kagome was left alone.

Sighing audibly, Kagome walked to the well. Looking down it, she reasoned that trying wouldn't hurt. But she wanted to go slowly down it, as to ensure she wouldn't break something in case it wasn't open. Hoisting herself over, she cautiously worked her way down the vines to the bottom of the well. Her feet touched the solid ground, and she stood still for several seconds. Realizing she wasn't going through, she cursed out loud.

"YOU'RE SO DAMN FULL OF IT, MIROKU," and then the light engulfed her.

Although she had endured the sensation for years of her life before, Kagome was startled at the free-falling sensation of going through time before being gently placed on her feet in the future.

Blinking back sudden tears from the rush of emotions that over took her realizing she went through time, Kagome looked up and saw her little brother staring at her from the top of the well. He had grown quite a bit, she noticed. He no longer had his chubby baby cheeks. Her heart-strings pulled hard as she realized how much she had missed.

"Took you long enough, nee-chan. Inuyasha-nii-san is already on his third bowl of ramen." He tossed the rope ladder down her. "Mama went to the store to make oden for you."

Kagome's tears finally spilled down her face as she made her way out of the well. When she reached the top, she grabbed Souta and squeezed him tight. "I've missed you," she whispered, her voice cracking from emotion.

"I've missed you too," Souta was fighting his own tears as he held her just as tight.

Arm in arm they walked towards the house where Inuyasha was watching TV with grandpa and slurping down noodles. Giving her grandfather a hug and a kiss, Kagome sat at the table as well, waiting for her mother to come home.

Her reuniting with her mother was the most tear-filled, as she told her mother about everything she had done since she was gone, what had changed in the village, and her mother listened happily. Kagome made dinner with her mother again, grateful for the chance to spend time with her family again.

They ate dinner with gusto and many tales of the last year that night. It was a large meal full of familiar and favorite foods. When Momma heard that Kagome and Inuyasha had married in the feudal era, she insisted on running to the store and buying a small cake. Inuyasha didn't understand the significance of the small white cake, but he sure enjoyed the taste of it.

As they returned to the feudal era the next morning, Inuyasha and Kagome agreed to come back as often as they could for a day or two, to share a meal and stories. Kagome promised it would be at least once a month, but hopefully more frequent. With a new house and new responsibilities being the apprentice priestess, Kagome knew she was busy. However, she also knew she was blessed with a chance to come home for dinner.


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha, nor am I making profit from this story. All rights belong to their respective owners.

Kagome and Inuyasha had spent the better part of the first year as a married couple solely in Kaede's village. They hadn't seen any need to venture past their home, nor had any requests for assistance from nearby villages made its way to them. When the first request had come to them, Kagome was surprised at how eagerly she had agreed to go.

The request came from a village in need of an exterminator and a healer. There was a large demon who had been rampaging their lands, killing their crops, and wounding dozens. Initially, the request had been made for Miroku to go, but with three children who had their father's destructive tendencies, all hands on deck were needed for Miroku and Sango to keep some semblance of control in their household.

Inuyasha was reluctant to go, displeased with the thought of having to leave his home, but agreed after Kagome indicated that it could just be like old times. It was going to be well over a day's journey to the village, meaning that it was going to be at least a week, if not two, before they returned, if the rumors of the destruction were to be believed.

As they were bidding everyone goodbye and well wishes just before departing their village a few days after receiving the news, Kagome was stocking up on kisses and hugs from her favorite children, and getting last minute gossiping in with Sango. She had bundled onto her shoulders a large wrap filled with herbs and medical supplies she and Kaede had been making over the last year to help the village. Inuyasha had pocketed a few coins he had saved from extermination trips prior to Kagome's return, knowing they would have to stop at a village for the night.

It was while the women were distracted that Miroku pulled Inuyasha to the side to speak privately with his friend.

"I have heard terrible things about this village, Inuyasha." Miroku spoke in a low and cautious voice. "I've heard that the headmaster is cruel and unwavering, causing there to be death and turmoil amongst the villagers. I have heard he has sent children to their far too early death for menial things, such a stealing a single vegetable so they wouldn't starve."

Inuyasha's face hardened at the words from his friend, and he didn't pull away when Miroku grabbed his arm hard. The monk continued, "If you see such things, return at once. I beg of you. Kagome should not be exposed to such things; it would break her heart. There is little to be done if what I have heard is true, but Kagome will want to try to fix it. We both know that."

Inuyasha let out a little huff to let Miroku know he understood. The two of them may be walking into an unredeemable situation.

Inuyasha felt the apprehension about going away from Kaede's village return. Kagome had been away from this world for three years; she may have forgotten the cruelties that many people faced. On top of it, she had been sheltered, living in this village where people got along well enough, and there were no starving children to be seen. Would she be able to cope with what they might find at this village? Inuyasha wasn't certain.

Inuyasha looked over at Kagome, his mind now heavily plagued with worry about what they might find. She hadn't moved an inch, and was still peppering the children with kisses. "Kagome," his voice was gentle, almost like he was reluctant to pull her away, "we need to go now if we are going to make it to the halfway point before sundown."

Kagome had turned her head slightly so he knew she had heard him, but moved slowly as she began to back away from the children. She kept blowing kisses and saying "I love you!" to each of them. The girls said it back, and the little boy gurgled his excitement from his mother's arms.

Inuyasha nodded towards Miroku, signaling he was taking off as well. The exchanged one last knowing look to each other, before Inuyasha started to walk down the path away from their home of the last year and half.

Kagome continued to wave and blow her kisses as they made their way down the path out of the village until she could no longer see the young family. Once she was sure the children would be satisfied that she said enough goodbyes to them, she turned forward and grabbed her husband's hand, swinging their arms back and forth in excitement.

"Just like the old days, huh?" She tilted her head until it rested against his shoulder. "When it was just the two of us."

Inuyasha let out a quiet 'keh'.

Kagome smiled and tilted her head up so she was looking at him, her cheek still pressed heavily into his shoulder. "Except this time, if I get close to you, it's okay if you think dirty thoughts." Inuyasha sputtered at her statement, stumbling in his step, and turned wide eyes on her. Kagome waggled her eyebrows at him, moving so that she brushed more against him.

"You remember that?!" He was stunned. He had himself long forgotten the awkward encounter between them all those years prior. She was scared and uncomfortable being around someone who was deceased, still being naïve and unused to the daily life of the feudal era.

Letting out a soft giggle and turning her head back towards the road, she replied. "Of course I do. It was the first time I wondered if you saw me as a woman rather than a 'shard collector'."

Inuyasha, too, turned to look at the road. He slowed their pace a bit before replying. "I always saw you as a woman Kagome. I only said those things because I was afraid you didn't see me as a man."

Kagome blinked and processed this revelation. "Why wouldn't have seen you as a man, Inuyasha?" Her voice was low and quiet.

"Because no one had really before. Or at least I didn't feel like anyone did. No one had seen me as anything other than an outcast," Inuyasha's voice matched the volume of her question. "I felt in order to be seen, I had to become human."

Kagome let go of his hand, and looped her arms around his waist, pulling herself closer to him. She was silent, not knowing what to say to him, so she expressed her love to him in her absence of words.

They walked the rest of the day in relative silence, just enjoying each other's company and presence, commenting on menially things only every once in a while, like the changing weather, the puffy clouds above with the sun peeking through, and the roughness of the wilderness.

They reached the village situated midway in their journey right as dusk was coming to an end. The stars were bright and glimmering on the edge of the sky, indicating it would be a clear, but probably crisp night. They walked purposefully towards the center of the village where the village leader's home was. As they approached, a brightly garbed man opened the gate.

"How may I help you travelers? Have you come to slay more demons?" His tone and mannerisms gave away that the person before them was the head of this house, and mostly likely the whole village.

It was a small village, one Kagome vaguely remembered from before, and the village head didn't seem the most receptive to them. She wondered what might have occurred at this village that would cause open animosity, but she found she didn't have a particular memory that stood out.

Kagome had known without the help of Miroku and his 'demon-sensing' abilities, it would be hard to get a room for Inuyasha. He had said he would sleep outside, wanting her to be safe inside during the brisk spring night, but Kagome wanted to be near her husband. She hadn't spent a night separate from him since they first married.

"We have come to seek shelter for one night. We will be on our way as the sunrises tomorrow. We are willing to pay you for your kind generosity." Inuyasha kept himself low and humble in appearance, making slight bows with his body as he spoke. Kagome knew he was humbling himself for her sake, and wanted to cry from how unfair it was that he would have to do such a thing.

The man before them scoffed. "Why do you think we have rooms for you? Can you not see that we are a small village with little resources?"

Inuyasha did most of the talking, negotiating the details of their nightly stay, more out of fear that if Kagome let it slide they were married she would be denied a room, than anything else. She had always been one to speak her mind, and if Kagome thought they would be denied for needing two rooms, she would point out they only needed one.

Inuyasha navigated the conversation far better than Kagome could have ever had hoped to herself. He was careful to not mention any presumption of needing two rooms, but instead made sweeping comments about how wealthy and well-to-do the village looked, with its large and well-built houses.

The village head was pleased by the compliments, and, despite his initial hostility towards them, agreed to give them two rooms for the night. The price he initially asked for was exorbitant and ridiculous, but Inuyasha was careful with his words to work it down to a more reasonable amount.

After a comment from Inuyasha about how generous of a man he was, he offered them a 'better deal', but for two rooms, it was still a fair amount of money. Inuyasha had become quite vigilant in making sure he carried some coins on him incase Kagome was ever in need of something, but even he didn't have enough money.

Realizing that they might have to sleep outside because they didn't have enough coins on hand, Kagome finally spoke up. "We would also be willing to give you some medical supplies and herbs for your generosity of allowing us to stay the night."

The village head looked at her curiously. "What kind of goods do you offer?"

Kagome indicated they had herbs to ease fevers and body pains, as well as salves to help with injuries and burns they would be willing to give. This intrigued the man, and he inquired to see the items. Kagome pulled the lightly bulging wrap from her back to her front, and reached in to show which items she felt she could probably give up.

Inuyasha watched her carefully, unsure as to why she would be willing to give up her precious supplies to this man. As she struck a deal, Inuyasha handed over the appropriate amount of coins along with Kagome's medical herbs and salves.

They were shown their room by a servant, and told where they could bathe off the dirt from the road. Kagome gave a low bow to the servant, thanking him for his hospitality, but Inuyasha gave barely a nod, thinking harshly that he didn't have any spare coin for the return home and they were down much needed medical supplies due to the headmaster's greed.

The politeness he had extended before was gone with the absence of the headmaster, replaced with the usual defiance and suspicion he had towards people that weren't from his village.

Inuyasha confronted Kagome as soon as they were left alone. "Why would you do that, Kagome? We needed those items."

"Because I know how important it is to you that we stayed indoors tonight." She didn't rise to his instigation of a fight, rather choosing to keep level headed and meet him as an equal. "Besides," she added, touching his elbow, "we should be paid by the village we're headed to. We can use that money to pay for our night on the way back."

Inuyasha looked away, realizing that, while she may be right, he was still displeased with the whole situation. He made no movement to walk to his room just down the hall, standing directly outside her room for the night until she spoke again.

"I'm going to bathe right away, Inuyasha." Kagome drew his attention back to her. He let out a huff of understanding before retreating into his room, calmer, although still irate. Once in his own room, he retreated deep into his thoughts.

He quietly contemplated what could be waiting for them in the village. All he knew was they were in need of help, but Miroku's warning sounded alarms in his mind that he didn't know how to calm. What if Kagome saw something that made her change her heart – made her regret being with him here in the feudal era?

He knew Kagome loved him, but he also couldn't quell the storm that threatened to destroy his confidence in her.

He decided to give the baths a try for himself after a long while, running into his wife in the corridor on her way back to her room. "It's not too hot," she told him. "I think you'll have a nice soak."

He huffed acknowledgement, watching her walk back to her room. He stood in the junction of the hallways until he saw the light from her room go out, indicating she had gone to sleep.

When he returned from his brief, but at least tolerable, soak in the baths, he forced himself to not worry about what the next day might bring. He chose to only think of how Kagome loved him, and let whatever the village might bring bother him when it happened.


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: I do not own _Inuyasha_ , nor am I making any profit from this story. All rights belong to their respective owners.

They headed out early the next morning, offering a small 'thank you' to the village head, eager to leave the place as soon as they could, still fighting bitterness for the price of their nightly stay. The man was seemingly oblivious to their harsh feelings towards him, as he offered a request for them to return soon.

"As if we have the funds to stay another night," Inuyasha muttered under his breath to his wife. "I'd rather not stay with a bunch of thieves again."

Kagome chuckled at his comment in agreement.

The village was only just over another half day walk away from their destination, so they planned to walk through lunch and eat when they arrived, hoping to preserve as much of the minimal amounts of dried food they had for as long as possible.

They walked in amenable silence, enjoying each other's company, sharing jokes and pointing things out to each other as they walked.

They were so filled with happiness from being on a walking adventure again, something so familiar and yet so far in their past that it never crossed their mind to consider what they might find once they reached the village.

Once they reached the outskirts of the village, which turned out to be a castle town and larger than expected, Inuyasha felt uncomfortable déjà vu at the sights of the town's folk, milling around the foreboding large castle in the background. Kagome sensed his uneasiness, and gently touched his arm to reassure him.

"I'm here now, Inuyasha." She spoke softly to him, knowing the sight of the castle town may prove to be too much for him.

It was rare that they ever stopped in one during their previous travels, unless it was absolutely necessary, because of how agitated and upset it would make Inuyasha. This was an unexpected turn of events and Kagome didn't know what to do.

She feared that memories from his childhood would surface and he wouldn't know how to cope with them.

They were greeted on the edge of town by a castle guard, and escorted right in to meet the lord. Kagome figured from the state of his clothes and body that he must have been ordered to wait there until they arrived as soon as message had reached them. Kagome felt sorry for the man, considering the news may have arrived two, if not more, days ago. The guard walked with purpose, clearly trying to hid the stumbling in his steps from exhaustion. Kagome wanted to tell him to rest, but she knew better than to try to reason with a castle guard.

They walked through the town, and people quickly scurried inside when they approached. Kagome could see curious little faces peeking through different homes, but mothers were speedy to pull the children from eyesight as they tossed dirty and spiteful looks at the passersby. The men openly stared in disgust from barely concealed locations.

Inuyasha noticed the hateful staring at him, but he took even more notice of Kagome's hateful stare back at them. Her eyes met their gazes with no hesitation, and she looked on in a challenge. Whether she knew for sure the people were giving them the looks because of him, he didn't know. He wanted to tell her to ignore them, but he was glad to see that she was just as willing to stare at them for his sake.

The guard was walking far enough ahead that Kagome felt comfortable whispering, "Stupid villagers. Maybe I won't offer them help." Inuyasha heard her, but the only reaction he gave was a slight flick of his ear.

But he knew Kagome if motivated enough could deny someone aid. Apparently, giving him dirty looks was enough of a motivator for his wife.

They approached the large castle, clearly more maintained than any other part of the village, and the guard stopped to wait for the doors of the inner compound to be opened. Kagome watched as other men, visibly just as exhausted as the guard who had led them, push aside the gates.

Inuyasha felt his chest tighten as he looked into the compound. While he had been in plenty of other castle compounds since his youth, this one held a certain feeling of familiarity that he never had wanted to experience again.

The way the sun broke through the tops of the trees brought him back to when his mother had held him close and told him fairytales of old. The smell of the sweet grass and flowers peeking through was just like the day he learned his mother was gone.

It was almost all too much for him and he nearly turned around and ran away. Kagome stood close to him and he willed himself to focus on her scent and heartbeat, to think only of what they came to do for these people, and not be concerned with the memories taking over his mind.

Kagome watched the inner turmoil of her husband, wondering suddenly what exactly she could do to ease what he was going through.

The stark realization that there was nothing she could do caused her pain.

"Come this way," the guard who had led them to the gate was replaced by a higher ranking one, based off of the level of decoration on the new man. "You will give greeting to our lord before starting your work."

Kagome gave Inuyasha quick hand squeeze before walking behind her husband who followed the guard inside.

They walked down narrow and winding hallways, many rooms lining the sides. There were shadows from within dancing across the shoji doors, and light sounds echoing across the small area. While Kagome couldn't say for sure what was happening in the rooms, she felt she could take a good guess.

Inuyasha became more and more visibly distressed the further they walked into the castle. He didn't appear to even notice what they were walking past, his gaze focused in front of him, but glazed over. He appeared to be getting more and more lost in his memories; memories Kagome knew little of and didn't know how to expel. She wanted to grab him and tell him that they should just leave.

But they had promised to try to help, and they were people of their word.

They went to enter inside the large tatami room where there was a figure obscured by the screen in front of him. The guard prodded the two to kneel before the castle lord, but Kagome was the only one who bowed respectfully. Inuyasha squatted down onto his haunches and didn't budge when the guard barked at him to pay respects.

Apparently, the lord thought little of the perceived disrespect that Inuyasha was giving him, as he lifted his fan to shoo away the guard to the door frame where he would keep a watchful looked.

If either of Inuyasha or Kagome cared about the hateful looks the guard threw their way, they made no indication of it.

The lord resided behind a screen, and while Kagome kneeled respectfully, Inuyasha crouched low, ready to up and leave once he determined he had all that he needed to continue his work. Subconsciously, he was already aiming to leave as soon as he could. The needles of unsettled fears were creeping up his heels into his calves, causing him to be restless.

"I didn't realize that a half breed would come." The lord spoke in low tones and abnormally slowly. Kagome tried to not roll her eyes at the sound, knowing well he was speaking in such a manner because he was speaking to people he believed below him. He opened and closed his fan repeatedly, indicating he was displeased and troubled by the presence of the two people before him.

He seemed especially transfixed on Inuyasha, keeping beady eyes boring onto the red clad man as he spoke. "I was told that an experienced demon slayer would come. If I had known a half breed would be here, I wouldn't have asked for the help." The lord's voice displayed his aggression and disapproval of Inuyasha.

Kagome was never one to back down from a fight, nor one to look over someone insulting someone she loved. She felt herself bristle sharply at the words coming from behind a screen, from a man who had no place to judge. She tried to calm herself before she said something that might aggravate the situation, but she still felt her heart rate sky rocketed as she retorted back. "Inuyasha is more than capable to take of your demon problem, but if there is an issue with him, we would be happy to leave you and your castle to the demons."

Inuyasha found himself stunned by Kagome's words. It has been a very long time since he had experienced the type of attitude she had when she felt insulted, and he knew that the other men in the room might not be as flattered by it as he was.

Inuyasha immediately made notice of the guard. Kagome speaking so harshly meant that there was a good chance the guards would step forward to strike her for speaking out. If any of them even made a move towards her, he would have to fight their way out and hope he could get them far away and fast.

The lord, however, was the only one who reacted. Inuyasha didn't know why the guard remained in his post, not stepping forward to defend his lord's honor.

The lord finally turned his eyes onto the miko before him. "A woman who speaks out of turn, "he drawled out, seemingly uninterested and unsurprised by the encounter. "What a horrible little bunch they've sent."

Kagome saw him move his fan from hand to hand. She decided that she would tell Inuyasha as soon as night fell that they were leaving this place. Propriety be damned. No one spoke ill of her husband and received any sort of help from her. Her conscience tried to speak up for the innocent town's folk who were being harmed, but her heart squashed any chance of caring.

"We are attacked nearly nightly." The lord resumed switching the fan back and forth between his hands. He didn't look at either of the individuals before him, lifting his gaze to stare off into the distance. "The woman claims the half breed is more than enough for the job. If that is so, then I will only give you one night to resolve our problems. If you require more than one night to remove the demons, you will not be paid." Inuyasha had looked off into the distance, completely uninterested in the man's droning. But at the comment about not being paid he became agitated. He had half a mind to be angry and demand payment either way, but shifting his gaze to his wife, he noticed her eyes narrow, but her mouth remained shut.

If Kagome didn't raise a fuss about the unreasonable demands, then he would trust her instinct and not make one himself.

The lord took their silence as agreement to his terms. Opening his fan to move it lightly in front of his mouth, the lord spoke to the guard still situated next to the door. "Guard, bring them to their rooms."

As the guard moved to collect the couple before him, the lord gave one last comment, "You must resolve this by tomorrow morning." Inuyasha and Kagome spared no further time remaining in the lord's room and presence and quickly followed the guard out.

Kagome made sure Inuyasha looked at her by touching his arm once they enter the hallway. Once she had his attention for a brief moment, she mouthed, 'We're leaving.' Inuyasha nodded, before walking briskly after the guard who had realized the two had paused behind him.

"Hurry up," the guard barked at them. Kagome and Inuyasha chose to not acknowledge the man.

They walked back down the hallway, causing Kagome to become mildly concerned that she would be staying in the same area as the figures who had been moving behind the shoji doors, but thankfully they made a sharp turn down a different hallway.

The guard stopped in front of a room at the very back of the castle. The breeze of the night was more prominent in this area, causing Kagome to feel a sharp chill chase up her spine.

The guard didn't look at her as he addressed her. "The woman will stay here. You," he did look at Inuyasha, "will stay in a different area."

Kagome raised her eyebrows behind the guard's back, tempted to stick her tongue out at him. But, she held back, despite how hard it was. Inuyasha made a quick look over the guard's shoulder to his wife, nodding lightly before both men walked further into the castle.

Kagome knew he would come get her at nightfall to leave.

Sliding the door open, Kagome observed the room she was going to stay in. There was a small closet where she presumed she would find a futon, but nothing else. Since she hadn't been given any directions to the baths, she decided that a good form of revenge for the hateful looks and comments would be rubbing in all the dirt from the road right into the futon.

Her mind made a small protest that it wasn't fair to whomever had to clean the futon, but her hart was hard and firm. No one here would gain mercy from her.

Kagome let out a sigh. At least they had taken their time to get here, so it was only a couple of hours to night fall. She regretted skipping lunch, considering how hungry she was at the moment. She was sure that once they left, Inuyasha would find some sort of meal for her.

While she was certain he wouldn't be happy they would more than likely be sleeping outside that night, she knew he would keep her warm.

She pulled out the futon after removing her shoes by the door and laid out on top of it. She gave a good wiggle for good measure that the dirt would transfer from her clothes, before stretching a little and closing her eyes. She thought she might as well take a nap until she could leave this god-forsaken place.

Kagome woke hours later. The golden glow of the setting sun across the horizon glimmered through the cracks in the wall and scattered across her face. She blinked several times over and tried to sense if Inuyasha had come to get her.

Realizing she was all alone in the room, Kagome sat up and tried to figure out what had woken her. She could tell something was off, but wasn't able to pinpoint it.

Suddenly, she heard loud shouting come from outside.

" _How dare you! You think you deserve food?"_

" _How dare you take food from me? I ought to kill you for that!"_

" _You filthy half breed. How dare you live off of stealing from us!"_

Although the sounds were muffled, Kagome could hear the angry cries as if they were happening next to her. She also heard thuds of limbs striking another body followed each outburst. Kagome shot out of bed, and scrambled to get to the door.

Blasting into the hallway, half-crawling because she hadn't gotten her feet under her, Kagome scrambled towards the outside. She continued to hear shots and insults from several distinct voices. In her hurry to get outside, she hadn't even put her shoes on when she left she realized as her feet dropped onto the cold afternoon grass.

Kagome stumbled into the courtyard and saw what was causing the scene.

There was five adult men surround a little body curled up on the dirt. She felt her heart stop while simultaneously jumping into her throat. Everything was happening in slow motion around her as she watched limbs strike the small body on the ground. Her ears filled with the sound of her beating heart and she stopped hearing the shouts from the men.

After what seemed to her like a lifetime, Kagome lurched forward, ready to throw her body over the littler one in the middle of the beating, but a voice stopped her.

"Do not interfere, woman. You have no right to step in." The cool and slow voice of the lord cut through Kagome's soul. She wheeled around to face him, horrified at what he had said.

But he continued, the fan from before still moving slightly in front of his mouth, obscuring his voice slightly. "That child is not wanted, and deserves what comes to him." The lord had spoken from his position still in the castle hallways, his eyes never leaving the scene. "That child has no right to live here nor do you have any right to stop our way of living here."

"That child deserves to live!" Kagome screamed at the lord, her voice echoing across the courtyard and into the castle walls. "Why would you ever say otherwise!?"

At her outburst the men had stopped stomping on the little child on the ground, but the child remained curled tightly into a ball, still silent regardless of the abuse he was enduring. Curious eyes peaked out at her from inside, but Kagome paid no mind to anyone but the lord before her

"He is a half breed, an unwanted child." The lord dropped the fan from his face and closed it. Kagome watched his knuckles turn white as he gripped the fan tighter and tighter. The rage pouring off of this man was palpable. But Kagome had faced down Naraku without a flinch, and this man was puny compared to him.

The lord stepped down and walked towards Kagome. He made eye contact with her as he approached, his voice still low and slow as he spoke, "Surprisingly hard to kill, however. So, if I cannot kill him, then I will not allow him to live here."

Kagome stood her ground, ready to fight this man if she had to. "You would throw a child away, just because of who he is?" She spit out at the lord, refusing to look away. The lord raised one hand as if to strike Kagome for her comment, but was interrupted by a gust of red coming between them.

Inuyasha had dropped in from above. Once he feet were firmly planted on the ground, he drew Tessaiga. While everyone was shocked and fixated on the large, angry man who was emanating the will to kill them, Kagome turned on her heels dove for the small child. She pulled him up to her chest and choked back a sob at the feeling of his cold, boney body. She clutched him as hard as she dared, willing him to embrace her back.

"What the hell do you think you are doing?!" Inuyasha roared in a way she hadn't heard since Naraku had been defeated. "Who the hell do you think you are?! I will level this damn place and no one will ever know you existed!"

The lord looked Inuyasha up and down, as if finally taking in his measure. "Why should I think that a half breed like you has any power that I should fear?"

Inuyasha turned slightly and released a Wind Scar on the courtyard, thinking little of the damage he may be causing. His eyes were bleeding red from rage at the thought that someone would try to hurt Kagome, and rage at being underestimated again. It was all he could do in order to keep a hold of Tessaiga to stop the full transformation.

The lord took a step back, apparently swayed by Inuyasha's show of might. The fan returned to cover his mouth, and he seemed at a lost for what to do.

Kagome had started sobbing uncontrollably once the Wind Scar was released as she tried her best to cover the little boy's body with her own. The child in her arms remained tightly curled around himself, as if afraid and unsure of what was happening.

Inuyasha took the lord's slight retreat as a sign of surrender. Turning over his shoulder quickly, he tucked away Tessaiga before scooping up Kagome and the child and jumping over the castle walls with both of them in his arms.

His feet planted into the small town surrounding the castle, and the people who had stared at him in hate before looked at him with fear. Inuyasha normally would have been embarrassed by their fear of him, ashamed of his strength and might, but in that moment, he was proud that he had proven himself strongest.

They made no motion to follow him, so he bounded across the village, swiftly and smoothly for the sake of the two in his arms.

He ran as far as he could. Night had fallen before he thought that they were far enough away. All he could smell was Kagome's tears and hear a slight heartbeat from the child in her arms. His own heart was racing and pounding in his ears.

He knew that atrocities happened there. But he had hoped he and Kagome could have left before they witnessed any of them. They should have left right after meeting the lord. He should have just grabbed her and left.

But then he thought of the child. What would have happened to the child? Suddenly he was confused from his own thoughts and couldn't think straight.

He found a nice clearing before putting Kagome down. He pulled off his suikan, paying no mind to the medicine pouch that dropped from him, and draped it around her before getting to work on making a fire. Once she was covered by the fire rat robe, Kagome untangled herself enough to get a good look at the little boy she had held the whole time.

The first thing she noticed was his golden-red little ears that looked so much like Inuyasha's own silver ones. More tears fell as she took in his gaunt cheeks and big brown eyes that gazed up at her with so much confusion. His hair was a golden color to match his ears, and it was horribly matted. He had dirt caked on different part of his body and had scrapes of clothing clinging to his tiny form, but they did little to hide the bruises from the multiple beatings he had endured.

Kagome didn't allow herself to wonder how long this child had been tortured in that horrible place.

Allowing herself to sob loudly, she started to stroke and try to clean up the little boy. He remained completely silent and accepted her gentle strokes stiffly. It was clear he hadn't experienced any sort of affection.

Inuyasha got the fire roaring before he turned to look at his wife and the child. He was able to smell past her tears now that the child wasn't buried in her chest that it was a hanyou just like him: an inu hanyou.

He realized in horror that his initial feelings of the castle town were so much more just déjà vu; it was almost as if going back in time and finding himself as a child. He watched Kagome stroke the boy's ears, face, and neck gently as a mother would and his heart swelled a bit at the sight.

"Who would do something like this?" Kagome's voice was quivering as she spoke to her husband, all while keeping her eyes on the little face in front of her.

"Monsters." He replied. Inuyasha bend down and picked up the medicine pouch that had dropped from his suikan. He was thankful he hadn't removed it from his possession, as whatever they had left they would desperately need tonight. He gave it to Kagome to try to treat some of the boy's wounds.

She gave him a watery smile before applying the remnants of the ointment to the freshest cuts on the child, in hopes of warding off any sort of infection. The boy still sat stiffly in her lap, watching her with wide and wondering eyes as to what she was doing. Kagome spoke softly to him, telling him she would make it all better soon. Once she was done, she planted kisses to the boy's head and began to murmur words of love to him.

The child remained stiff, even as she pulled him to rest his head on her chest.

They were silent the rest of the night. The child eventually relaxed into Kagome's embrace, and once Inuyasha scooped both of them up to sit in his lap, the big brown eyes of the little inu hanyou locked on to the golden ones of the bigger inu hanyou, creating a bond of understanding between them. The boy eventually pulled his eyes away and closed him, soothed by Kagome's soft murmurs.

They remained close to the fire and in each other's embraces until the morning light drifted across the clearing. Inuyasha and Kagome looked at each other while the child slept, silently agreeing that they would take of this child from here on out. They would be his little family.


	4. Chapter 4

Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha, nor am I making profit from this story. All rights belong to their proper owners.

When they first woke up, the little boy clung to Kagome with a death-like grip and wailed the tiniest noise she had ever heard any time she made a motion to put him down. Kagome finally had a chance to look at him in the sunlight. He was small enough that he almost didn't cover her whole chest with his whole body.

He was boney and small, but his hair glowed in the light that peeked through the treetops. His hands were nearly white from the effort of holding onto her, and he kept his face pressed harshly against her chest. His clothes were tattered to the point Kagome half way thought that they must be the last remaining existence of a time when he had someone to love him.

She lifted a hand to pat his back and kissed the top of his head.

She finally asked Inuyasha, "What will we do?"

Inuyasha sighed deeply but didn't give an answer to his wife. Neither of them knew exactly what was the right thing to do, nor what their next steps should be.

Feeling a slight rumble in his own stomach, Inuyasha finally spoke, "Keep him close, Kagome. I'll find you two some food."

Inuyasha smoothly moved away from the pair who had spent the night in his embrace. The child turned his head enough to watch Inuyasha get up, following his every move with watery brown eyes – eyes that bore into Inuyasha and brought back memories he had long since sworn to never think of.

Inuyasha extended one of his large hands and placed it tenderly on top of the little head. He tried to ignore the twitch that was his heart breaking a little bit when the boy flinched as if expecting a blow instead of a gentle caress.

He could remember what it felt like to be afraid like that. He could feel the bitter burn in his chest of expecting nothing but harm and rejection to come towards him.

Inuyasha could empathize more with this child that he had ever imagined possible.

He abruptly moved to fetch food for them; Kagome barely had time to register the interaction between her husband and the boy before he was gone.

Kagome looked at the spot where Inuyasha had been just moments before and took a deep breath, attempting to calm herself.

She wondered if he was reliving his childhood, and if he would be alright. She could tell that the castle town had brought back memories as soon as they had stepped foot into it. It must also be eating away at him to have found a child just like him.

Kagome looked down at the boy in her arms. He still clung to her, but he was also looking around for Inuyasha. Although his facial features and coloring was completely different from her husband, Kagome could see Inuyasha in this child. She could see the horrors that he sometimes slipped into reliving still fresh and tormenting this child. Kagome knew that Inuyasha would struggle with his own past while helping this child, but she also knew that there was not a single better person in the universe for this boy to have in his life.

She knew that Inuyasha wouldn't vocalize anything about what he was feeling to her, but she promised herself to try to get him to talk. After all, if Inuyasha went through what she saw happening to this little boy...

She dared not think much further than that. She couldn't risk becoming too emotional when she was alone with a baby.

The boy, realizing that Inuyasha was gone and not just hiding from his sight, shuffled his head as deep into her chest as he could. Kagome stroked his back and whispered to him, hoping to get him to associate her with good things, such as love and affection. She ignored how her heart ached at the feeling of his spine and ribs against her fingers, and told him that he was safe with her.

He was clearly a toddler- a very malnourished and horribly abused one, but still a toddler. He had showed signs of cognitive recognition when he was looking around for Inuyasha, and he had enough strength in him to maintain a strong grasp on her.

She remembered from her high school days learning that it was an imperative time in a child's life, where most of the developing happened. She prayed that they got to him in time – that he would be able to learn to trust and love them.

He let out little sighs that Kagome took as a good sign, eventually relaxing enough in her arms to slouch into her chest.

His ears drifted to a low relaxed position and his eyes closed slightly in trust.

Kagome wanted to cry from joy at the child's reaction to her, but she didn't dare in case he misinterpreted her tears.

Kagome lost track of time as she snuggled the little boy in her arms. It could have been moments or hours for all she knew. Inuyasha came as swiftly as he had left, with a fresh rabbit in hand. He wasn't sure he could even stomach eating anything, and doubted Kagome would be able to either. But the boy had to eat – and he would make sure that boy never went hungry again.

Inuyasha revived the small fire, cleaned the rabbit swiftly, and set the meat to cook. Once he was done, he sat next to his wife and looked at the child in her arms, who had taken on a relaxed and submissive pose in her arms.

The child looked at him with a soft gaze, indicating to Inuyasha that he believed no harm would come to him.

It surprised Inuyasha that this boy had come to trust Kagome just as easily as he had all those years ago.

Kagome snuggled and planted gentle kisses on the young child in her arms while the meat was cooking. The smell made her stomach churn, but the little guy in her arms perked up quite a bit at the smell.

Slowly, his ears took on a standing position and his nose started to wriggle furiously. He removed himself just enough to watch Inuyasha lean forward to turn the meat by the fire. Kagome could hear his nose taking in air faster than normal, and he guessed he was excited because he could smell meat.

Inuyasha heard it as well. He heard things Kagome couldn't, like how the boy's stomach let out a small grumbled, and the soft – barely audible to him even – whines that were coming out of the boy's throat.

Finally, the boy turned himself entirely around in her embrace so that he was facing the fire and the food, and leaned just out of her lap to plant his hands on the forest floor.

Removing the rabbit, Inuyasha pivoted on his heels to face his wife and the child. He remembered the foolish mistakes hunger made him make when he was young, and only offered little bits to the boy. He didn't want the child to eat too much too fast and make himself sick, like he had done many times in his youth.

Big brown eyes gazed longingly at the meat Inuyasha was holding out, but the boy kept his hands planted on the ground and made no motion to take the food.

Kagome couldn't figure out why the boy wasn't taking it, and reached to grab it from Inuyasha's hand. The child's eyes immediately went elsewhere, looking at the grass, perhaps a leaf, apparently disappointed and trying to not convey he had any hope that the meat was meant for him. Kagome's heart sunk into the ground when she realized he wasn't sure if he was going to be allowed to eat.

Choking back a sob for what felt like the hundredth time, Kagome carefully pressed the meat against the little boy's lips, saying, "Go ahead, sweetheart. It's for you."

He turned his head, the meat still pressed lightly against his lips, and looked over his shoulder at Kagome. As soon as they made eye-contact, Kagome nodded and repeat, "For you, sweetie."

He opened his mouth slightly, just enough to let the meat pass his lips. He closed his eyes and chewed slowly on the meat, as if savoring the taste of it and trying to make it last as long as possible. Kagome bit back sobs that threatened to overtake her, knowing that if she made any sudden movements or sounds, the boy might stop eating out of fright.

Once he had chewed and swallowed the meat, he shifted his body back into Kagome's lap, resting his back against Kagome's chest. He slumped his hands into his lap and tucked his chin away into his chest and looked at the ground.

Inuyasha pulled another small piece from the leg of the rabbit, and handed it to Kagome. This time, when she placed the meat under his nose, he was much more eager to eat it, and took it willingly.

So little by little, Inuyasha handed her pieces of the meat and she gave it to the little boy in her arms.

Eventually his slow chewing turned from savoring to him not having enough room in his small stomach to take anymore. Inuyasha recognized the difference when Kagome had failed to, and handed her some meat with a gruff "Time for you to eat. Then we'll get going."

Kagome looked confused up at him, and before she had a chance to ask any questions, he answered her, "He's full for now. It's better to feed him small meals a couple of times a day right now, until he isn't so starved."

While she nodded her understanding of what her husband was telling her, her stomach wouldn't handle eating at all, not while the boy in her arms was still eyeing the food in her hand. She took a small bite to appease Inuyasha, but then held it out to the child. He mimicked her by taking his own small bite, and as he worked on it, he looked to Inuyasha. Kagome held out the meat to Inuyasha and he took his own bite, and together, they each took turns eating a little of the meat.

Inuyasha recognized that the likelihood of them finishing the whole rabbit by themselves was nonexistent, so when Koji was distracted by a few kisses from Kagome, Inuyasha tossed the rabbit into the woods for a smaller animal, perhaps a fox kit, to find and have a feast.

Koji didn't immediately recognize that the food was gone, being so entranced by the affection he was receiving on top of a full stomach, but once he did, Kagome could feel the small trembles rack the boy's body as fear that the food was gone seized him. "It's okay, baby," she stroked his hair and cooed at him. "There'll be more. I promise."

Glistening brown eyes locked eyes with her, as if to question what she was saying, but Kagome couldn't even be certain that he understood her language. Still, she repeated her promise to him.

"You'll always have food now, baby boy. We'll always make sure you have food."

Inuyasha patted the little head in his wife's arms, not knowing how to comfort the child, even though he had once felt the same insecurities.

As Inuyasha stomped out the remains of the fire, and Kagome finally rose to stretch her legs to get ready for walking.

"How far are we from home?" she asked her husband, shifting the toddler from one side to the other as she worked out kinks from the last two days.

Inuyasha took the boy from his wife so she could get a few forward bends in, replying, "Maybe a day, probably less."

Kagome winced as her back popped loudly, but rose with less tension and tightness, so she called that a win. "Well, we should get going then, I guess."

Inuyasha huffed audibly, before handing the boy back to Kagome, as he had started to lean heavily towards her.

They walked slowly, Kagome holding the little boy almost the whole time. He would fuss any time Kagome passed him along to Inuyasha, clearly preferring to being held by her. Inuyasha tried to take no offense from the child's behavior, thinking that if he was the boy, he would also want to be held by a mother figure who coddled him.

But it still stung that the child was more affection with Kagome than him.

It was slow process, because Kagome was feeling so exhausted, emotionally and physically, and carrying another person. Inuyasha was thankful for the slower pace, however, because he had the opportunity to stop when he saw something edible on the side of the road, mushrooms or wild vegetables, and feed the little child some more food.

The rest of the day went on in relative silence, even when they all went to the river to clean up as best as they could with a child who was reluctant to be cleaned or pulled away from Kagome.

The child clung with all his might to Kagome when she stepped into the river bank, afraid to go in, but terrified to let go of her. Kagome tried to wash up with him in her arms, but the task proved to be too difficult even for her.

Eventually, Inuyasha had to take the boy in his arms and hold him firmly so Kagome could clean up a little bit and improvise a new outfit for the child. He did his best to ignore the small wails erupting from the tiny body in his grasp, but he felt his heart break a little bit at every gasp that escaped the child.

Kagome washed up faster than she had ever before in her life, quick to jump in, rinse off, and jump out. She just wanted the dirt off of her feet and hair.

As soon as she shook off the water, she beelined over and took the toddler from Inuyasha's grasp.

She stopped once she saw the heartbreak dance across his face when he saw how relieved the child was to be back in Kagome's arms. "Inuyasha," she breathed out, but he had already risen and started walking back towards the path.

Kagome looked at the red-headed child in her arms. "He's a good man, little one. You are safe with him. We all are."

Inuyasha had heard Kagome's words, but it brought little comfort to him at the moment.

Together they walked, side by side, Kagome trying to get the toddler to interact with Inuyasha more by taking his hand and putting it on Inuyasha's arm. It took a couple of tries before the toddler grasped onto Inuyasha's sleeve.

But once he did, there was no way he was going to let go of it.

Inuyasha found himself relaxing at the interaction, going so far as to tease the toddler with a gruff, "What do you think you're doing?" that caused the boy to look up at him.

But this time, there was no fear or confusion in the brown eyes looking into his golden ones. Just peace and hopefulness resided there.

Inuyasha swore he felt his heart stop looking into those eyes.

Inuyasha stepped in closer to Kagome so the boy wasn't extending his arm too far, and they walked, a little wobbly and crooked, but happily.

As soon as it was night fall again, Inuyasha told Kagome, "I guess we weren't as close as I thought we were."

Kagome laughed, making the child in her arms look up at her in wonder. "No Inuyasha, we're just moving at a snail's pace."

Inuyasha shrugged, not wanting to agree with Kagome since why they were traveling so slow was understandable, before responding, "I think we'll be there tomorrow."

"That's good enough for me." Kagome blew a few kisses at the child in her arms, who only then removed his hand from Inuyasha's sleeve to wrap his arms around her neck and nuzzle closer to her.

Inuyasha reached his arm around Kagome's shoulders to pull her close to his side, and to be able to put a hand on the child's head as they walked.

Once they had found a suitable clearing, Inuyasha and Kagome worked on getting the toddler to relieve himself before they settled down for the night. Since this may have been the first day in who knows how long that he received consistent food and water, Kagome reasoned that his bodily functions may be starting up.

Although there was a chance he wasn't able to quite yet, neither of them were too keen on finding out in the middle of the night if he could.

It took a few tries, and a lot of coaxing from both adults, but Koji was able to relieve himself.

Kagome cleaned him up while praising him, beyond grateful that the boy was having normal body functions, and that she wouldn't have to worry about making sure he didn't have lasting impacts in that department.

Inuyasha smothered a laugh when he saw the absolute confusion and bewilderment on the boy's face at receiving praise. He knew why Kagome was so keen to tell him he was such a good boy, but Inuyasha figured that this must have been the first time that the child had ever received such attention.

As they settled down in front of the fire that Kagome had built while Inuyasha was hunting for more meat, Kagome breached the subject of what their future suddenly held. Kagome was nestled in her husband's lap, the baby boy curled tightly into her chest, sleeping happily away, humming to himself.

He had a small fist pressed tightly against his mouth, but he radiated contentment.

"What will we call him?" Kagome's voice was raspy from fighting tears at the sight of the little one in her arms. She had only had him for one day, but she knew he was her little one now.

"Whatever we want. He's ours now." Inuyasha kept his eyes trained on the fire burning bright before them.

"What if he had a name before? But he can't tell us it?"

"We're his new family. His new name will be a way for him to know he has a new life."

"Will he call us 'mom' and 'dad'?" Kagome patted the boy's back when he snuffled in his sleep and nuzzled closer to her.

"We are his parents now, so of course he will." Inuyasha reached up and stroked the side of Kagome's face as best as he could. He fought of the worry that Kagome wouldn't want this – she wouldn't want to be a mother to this child. It wasn't logical at all that he would even think that, because here she was, cradling the child close to her and nurturing it right away.

Kagome was silent, and thought closely about what she would call her new-found son. She pulled herself a little bit closer to Inuyasha, closing the little gap that there was between them. Inuyasha used his hand to cover her face and tilt her head onto his chest.

It felt natural to both of them, sitting there holding the small child who had entered their lives when they least expected it. While they couldn't tell what the future held, they knew they would face it as a family. While the words remained unspoken, both Inuyasha and Kagome knew in the last few hours, they had found themselves with a family of their own.

The silence that had surrounded them was broken by one simple word.

"Koji."

"Hmm?" Kagome looked up at him as best as she could with his hand still resting on her face. "What was that?"

"As his new father, I name him Koji." Inuyasha dropped his hand to the boy's head, finally pulling his eyes away from the fire to look at the messy dog-eared head in his wife's arms. "He's our little one. He's now our Koji."


	5. Chapter 5

Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha and company, nor am I making profit from this story. All rights belong to their respective owners.

"Koji, my pretty baby." Kagome whispered to the little boy in her embrace. Her voice was breaking as she murmured the toddler's new name, and she didn't try to wipe the tears away from her face. They flowed onto the top of his head, dripping and damping the fine hair on his ears.

His little ears flicked off the droplets, and the tiny babe in her arms began to stir for only a moment. Once Kagome started to pat his back gently, he cooed to himself and drifted back to sleep. Inuyasha brushed away his wife's tears, and fought back his own.

Inuyasha dropped his head onto Kagome's shoulder, wanting just a moment of peace, peace he hadn't realized he had been longing after for so long.

"It's such a perfect name, Inuyasha," Kagome lifted her gaze upwards, looking at the not so fine hairs on her husband's matching ears. "You couldn't have picked a more perfect name."

She turned her body into his, and placed her head on top of her husbands. She felt relaxed. All was well in that moment, and that was all that mattered.

Inuyasha hummed his appreciation of her comment, but otherwise remained silent. Kagome whispered Koji's new name all night, even in her sleep, wanting her little boy to learn his name and learn he was loved by his new parents.

As the dawn broke, the little family was ready to move on to their next step and get closer to their home and their friends.

Inuyasha only finally untangled himself from his wife and new child when the glow of the daybreak turned from a soft haze to a bright encapsulation in the clearing they had found themselves in. He was quick in his hunt for a small breakfast, this time two fish to share between the three of them.

He was much firmer in making sure Kagome ate as well, not wanting her to faint or become ill from the stress of the last few days.

Koji was delighted by the food, receptive to it with eager hands and a drooling mouth. Kagome tried to keep him clean as best as she could, but she found it difficult as he would worm away from her whenever she tried to wipe his mouth, hands stuck out to Inuyasha asking for more food.

"Koji," she whispered lightly to him, "do you want to eat more?"

While she never received a response, she did get a smile out of her husband.

They were slow to clean up their makeshift camp, and evens slower to get down the road, but it was enough of a pace that Kagome knew they could sleep in their own hut that night. They still stopped frequently to feed Koji small amounts of food, and every time they fed him, he became more comfortable and more readily accepted the food. Kagome spoke softly to him the entire time, and every once in a while, Inuyasha would also speak to his new son, praising him for being a good eater.

They reached the edge of the village at the very last moments of daylight, and moved as a unit to their home, not wanting to keep Koji awake any longer than necessary, and knowing they would need a full night's sleep before they could answer the unavoidable questions that would come from their friends and the villagers.

Koji became tense once he laid eyes on the huts of the village. He began to whimper and bury his face into Kagome's chest, and she felt the sting of tears burn both her eyes and her chest as Koji cried into her and she cried for him. His entire body quivered from fear, fear that Kagome couldn't imagine she could ever fully soothe. She worried that this tiny child would always be afraid of a village setting, or if he would be afraid of other humans.

What could she do to help this baby boy? Inuyasha could tell from her body language, as well as smell the salty stench of tears, that she was thoroughly upset by the reaction of the child to the village. He felt similarly, but he knew that only time would heal those wounds.

He grabbed his wife and new child into his arms, scooping them up and cradling them close, and rushed to his home, bounding over broken trees smoothly, never once jarring his precious bundles.

Once the village was just smoke and speckles in the distance, Koji relaxed a little bit, although his body quakes remained, shifting to soft shivers that wracked his body.

Outside the hut they called home, Inuyasha placed Kagome tenderly on the ground, her feet gently moving to support her weight, and the minor weight of the child in her arms. Inuyasha put his hand on her lower back and pushed her forward gently.

Stumbling from exhaustion, both physical and emotional, Kagome made her way into their home. She paused from habit to remove her shoes, but remembered that she had left them in the horrid village. She would have to ask the village shoe maker to make her another pair, but that was for another day.

If Inuyasha noticed or cared about her missing shoes, he hadn't commented over the last two days. Considering the gravity of what they were dealing with, Kagome reasoned that it was understandable.

Remembering her shoes brought back more vivid memory of what had caused her to run without them, bubbling up more emotion that she had wanted to the surface.

Stepping out of the genkan and onto the main floor of the hut, she looked for a place to rest for the time being.

Kagome nestled into a corner of the room, cuddling her new baby close to her, trying to calm down for his sake and Inuyasha's. She watched her husband move like silk around their home, setting up the futon for the night. He grabbed a bucket and, after planting a small kiss on top of her head, headed out to gather water.

While she wasn't entirely sure what he was thinking, or what he intended, she knew that they needed to clean up themselves and Koji before settling into bed. Koji wasn't that dirty, but she had dust from the road, as well as swollen feet, and she prided herself on keeping her bed clean to the point that she often, when they were first married, chasing Inuyasha out of bed until he wiped down. She set Koji near the bed, and went to take off her clothes, so she could wipe both of them down once Inuyasha was back with the water.

But Koji, as soon as he was set on the floor, crawled over to the bed. He face-planted and let out the loudest, most content sigh she had ever heard. His breathing was almost instantly slow and steady, indicating to his new mother that he had fallen asleep.

Smiling to herself, she reached forward to give his back a few rubs before she went to start a fire in their small pit. 'You win some, you lose some,' she thought.

Once she was in her yukata and as clean as she knew she would be that night, she laid next to Koji, resuming rubbing his back in a gentle and comforting manner. Her mind wandered to questions she had about the boy. What had happened to his parents? How had he wound up in the castle town and just how long had he been there? How old was he? What kind of struggles would he face in the future?

She forced herself to worry about these things in the morning light, or even later into the future. Now was not the time to be emotional or scared.

He was relying on her and Inuyasha to get him through all of this.

She continued to pat his back, much like Inuyasha had patted her leg years before when she was ill, pleased when she heard soft hums from his chest and felt his body quake with an expressive deep breath.

"You're home now, Koji." She whispered to the sleeping lump next to her. "You're home now."

Whether her repetitive statement was to ease the tension in her heart or to offer unheard consolation to the child next to her, she didn't know.

In a matter of moments, her husband, the new father, walked in the door and set the water by the fire for Kagome to heat up if she so desired, but as soon as the bucket left his hand, he was on the futon close to his new son. He laid on his side, gently inspecting the little boy in his makeshift outfit that consisted of the remnants of the clothes he was wearing from the castle town and the cloth that Kagome had carried the goods they had bartered off the first night. It was luck that Inuyasha still had it in his possession, having thoughtlessly tucked it into his kosode once it was empty.

He sniffed all over the toddler, finally inspecting him for injury. He could tell there was bruises forming on his body, and that there was probably pain from previous injuries beating down the child. While his heart broke at the realization that the child had suffered so much while being so small, much like he had once before, his resolution hardened.

This child would never have harm come to him again, not as long as he was his father.

Kagome had half a thought to tell Inuyasha to at least strip down out of his dusty clothes before crawling into bed, but once she saw the bonding happening between her husband and the child on their bed, the thought left as if it were a mere whisper of what she would have once been concerned with.

She watched with curiosity, still sometimes struck by Inuyasha's dog-like behavior, as he sniffed up and down the child. The babe didn't move, besides an ear swiveling away when Inuyasha came close to it. He was fast asleep, and nothing could be done to disturb him it seemed.

"He fell asleep right away…" her voice was soft as she spoke to her husband once he had moved to lay completely down on the futon, tucking his arm around the boy so that he was nestled into his side.

"Smells like us. He feels safe."

"Ah…" Kagome watched as Inuyasha's other hand reached across his body to join hers in patting Koji's small back. It made sense, she guessed, that it would be the smell of the bed to help him fall asleep so easily. He probably knew from it that they slept there and considered it safe.

They had no way of knowing the last time he might have felt this safe.

Inuyasha's eyes flittered all over the child, and she could tell he was deep in thought. Kagome herself spent a while regarding her little family in all its little glory. She didn't know how long she had stayed still, taking in the sight of her boys, but eventually she fell asleep.

When she woke, she was tucked into bed with Koji sleeping happily – if the smile on his face was any indication – tucked into her side. Inuyasha wasn't sleeping next to them, nor was he within sight of the room. She wondered briefly where he might have gone, before closing her eyes again and sighing from contentment.

She didn't remember falling sleep, or even tucking herself and Koji into bed. Inuyasha must have tucked her and the baby in before heading out.

Finding that returning to sleep was going to be nearly impossible, Kagome tensed her muscles and stretched out a little bit, careful to not disturb the boy sleeping so tenderly at her side.

She sensed Inuyasha at the door, his presence something she always could tell. Blinking her eyes to gain a little more clarity, she looked towards their reed door cover to see the outline of her tall husband on the other side of it.

Before she had a chance to call his name, he spoke, but not to her.

"Miroku."

Kagome sat up a little bit, wincing at a whimper coming from the bundle at her side.

Miroku's voice carried into the hut. "Some of the villagers said they saw you come in last night, my friend. When you didn't stop by for breakfast, Sango and Kaede asked if I would come up to see you."

Kagome laid back down, watching Koji closely to see if he would become distressed at the voice of an unknown person. But, he turned his nose into her body, scooting ever so much closer, and slept on.

"Hmn." Kagome internally rolled her eyes at Inuyasha's classic response.

"Is everything alright? Where is Lady Kagome?" Although Miroku kept his voice steady, Kagome knew he was most like very concerned for her, which touched her heart.

"Inside." This time Kagome physically rolled her eyes. If it weren't for the boy at her side, she would have told her husband off for being so unhelpful.

"Is she injured? Is that why you are back so soon?"

"No."

There was a heavy silence before Miroku spoke again. Kagome could feel the weight of the silence drift into the hut. The absence of follow up questions and the absence of Miroku's gentle prodding for more details told Kagome that there was more to this conversation than either man was letting on.

"Did something happen at the village, Inuyasha?"

"Hmn."

"Ah."

While Kagome couldn't understand what either of the men were talking about, but she didn't dare move from her spot, not with her beautiful baby so happily snuggled against her. However, she knew that they were discussing something much deeper than the trivial fact of a quick return from the castle town. Their silences were too palpable and aggression free for a normal talk between the two men. She waited with baited breath to see if they would continue speaking so she could gather more information, but they remained quiet.

Kagome began to wonder if they were suddenly silently communicating, if Inuyasha had somehow caught on that she was awake, or if they were simply exchanging looks. She could still see their shadows outside, so she knew they hadn't taken off.

Suddenly, Koji rolled over and stood up. It was the first time Kagome had seen him walk, and while she was mesmerized by the sudden development, Koji teetered his was out of the hut. His legs were wobbly, but he didn't fall down at all.

As he made it to the door, Inuyasha turned slightly to regard the boy, and she heard a light surprise gasp from Miroku.

Followed by a barely audible "ahh" that must have come from Koji.

She went to stand up and greet their visitor and stand next to her husband. But she paused, still half way laying on the futon, when she heard a snort, followed by "You have a potty-trained toddler. That must be why you left. Such a find can't be left behind for someone else to take."

"Koji," Inuyasha's voice contained such tenderness when he spoke to the boy, "you're peeing on the house and I can guarantee your mom won't like that."

Kagome bolted upright, and made it to the door to see her new little boy relieving himself on the door frame, although having had the wits about him to pull his clothing away so it wouldn't become wet.

"Oh my…" She sighed.

"Be grateful he knows to go outside. That was the biggest struggle with the girls. They went right at the door, still inside for a while." Miroku had such a smile on his face, that Kagome felt her heart swell with pride for her new family. "Koji, is that his name?"

"Yes, I gave him that name."

"Little one. It's a good name for him."

A tiny grunt drew the adults' attention away from the conversation at hand to the small child who was rapidly approaching Inuyasha's leg. A small giggle-like noise came out of him once he made contact, and he looked up at the man he had attached himself to.

Kagome smiled, before looking at Miroku. "I'm sure you have questions."

Miroku looked at her softly, his gaze giving away what he and Inuyasha had been discussing before.

He smiled gently, before crouching down to be able to regard the tiny boy with a fistful on Inuyasha's pant leg in each hand, making neither a motion to approach the child nor a noise to startle the child. He watched Koji lean back and forward into Inuyasha, keeping his eyes trained upwards on his new father, as if waiting to be picked up.

Kagome had a sinking feeling that this was what they had been discussing not moments before.

They had known about this child.


	6. Chapter 6

Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha, nor am I making profit from this story. All rights belong to their respective owners.

Miroku gently smiled, as only a parent of a young one can do, towards the little boy who was attached to Inuyasha's leg. Koji seemed to either not care that there was a stranger looking at him, or not to notice Miroku at all.

"I have only one question, when will he come over to meet the girls? I think they'll love him."

Koji was still cooing at his father's leg, occasionally letting out a soft giggle, clearly gleeful to have caught Inuyasha in his grasp. Inuyasha reached down to pick up the child and cradle him near his chest.

"The girls would have to make sure not to pull on his ears. He won't be as forgiving as I am," Inuyasha teased the man in front of him.

"Oh, I think maybe they'd have to learn that ears aren't for touching." Miroku continued the light-hearted humor that had overcome the two of them. "But I think maybe it might be a while before they are ready to meet such a cute kid. I'll have to do a lot of preparing."

Kagome smiled at the scene before her, despite feeling hurt that they had known about Koji at that village. She tried to reason with herself that it was unreasonable to be this angry. She had no way of knowing if they had truly known there was a child in need.

There was even less proof they would have known it was a hanyou child.

She blinked back tears, becoming overwhelmed with love for the scene before her, her husband and friend cooing over her child, as well as the hurt of betrayal. She looked at the scene laid out in front of her eyes and told herself it was much better to focus on being happy.

If they had kept from her the reality that awaited her and Inuyasha at that castle town, they must have had a reason. Right?

Right.

She focused hard on the smiling face of Koji, now patting the side of Inuyasha's face in absolute glee, thinking of how happy Inuyasha looked holding the small boy, and how excited Miroku was to meet him. Koji turned his bright brown eyes on his mother, reaching out a small hand to her.

She felt guilty realizing that this child had recognized her inner turmoil and absence from his moment with the two men.

His hand was scrawny, nothing like the soft, chubby hands of the twins. She could see the bones peeking through the near translucent skin that covered a majority of his body, and she reminded herself that no matter the circumstances of the last few days, the fact that Koji was with them was all that mattered.

Kagome grabbed the extended hand and made another small promise to herself that she would feed and nurture him so that he would hands more like the girls.

She pushed into the back of her mind all the anger and hurt she was feeling earlier, knowing full well that there was a time and place to discuss this matter with Inuyasha and Miroku, but here was neither the time nor the place.

She planted kisses on the back of his hand, soaking in his excited face. "Hi there, baby. Who's a handsome boy?"

At the intonation of Kagome's question, Koji's sunset gold ears perked forward, and he let out a happy grunt, waving his arm, in turn wiggling her arm and smacking her nose hard.

She winced at the abrupt and painful contact to the end of her nose, but made little other indication that she was struck. Koji kept turning his arm around and around, pleased with his new-found game, unaware of any contact made with his mother's face.

"He's happy when he wakes up, that's good." Kagome laughed a little with the boy, her statement not really addressed to either of the men. Her unoccupied hand reached up and touched her nose lightly, inspecting for damage.

"I think he's happy he's home," Inuyasha responded, patting Koji's back.

Miroku maintained his respectable distance from the small family before him, but his hum of agreement still reached their ears.

"He'll need some clothes," Kagome murmured, her mind finally moving away from mulling over whether or not Inuyasha and Miroku had known about Koji's existence.

Turning to Miroku, she spoke at a normal level, "Do you think Kaede would know where I could an outfit for the moment? I don't have anything to sew him one right now."

"Most likely. If not, Sango I'm sure would be happy to give you some cloth, or even make something up for the little guy." Miroku's voice may have been a little louder than normal, but Kagome figured it was because of the space he was keeping between them, which Kagome was grateful for. She wasn't sure how Koji would react to Miroku being within touching distance of him, considering the type of people who had abused him.

Koji seemed just fine as long as he was in Inuyasha's arms, and closest to his new parents, but it would probably be a while before he was comfortable around others, even Miroku and Sango.

He continued to pull at the hand Kagome had offered him, wanting her closer to him, but his other fist was clenched with a vengeance into Inuyasha's chest, giving him leverage to pull her hard.

Kagome couldn't help the laugh that bubbled from her as she was pulled closer to Koji. "Okay, okay, baby! I'll come closer."

She stepped close and blew kisses at the boy, which he tried to mimic, but failed.

Inuyasha laughed out in response to the action, "He's got a strong grip, that's for sure!"

Miroku also chuckled from the sidelines, and Kagome took the time to respond to his earlier statement.

"I'll try to stop by later today. If I can't, I'm sure Inuyasha will go once night has fallen." Inuyasha grunted agreement, and Koji mimicked the noise, this time with much success.

Inuyasha looked down, grunting again, and for the moment the boy and his father were communicating in grunts. Kagome tried to join, but found that she didn't quite have the vocal range for the depth of the noise, making her sound much more like a whine.

Koji's ears swiveled sharply to look at her in concern when she did it. Once he recognized she was trying to make the same noises as them, he grunted loudly and leaned his face closer to hers. Kagome did the same, although she omitted the noises and rubbed noises with him.

Kagome wondered if her face would split clean in two if she smiled any bigger, but the joy in her heart overwhelmed her and she couldn't stop her smile.

"I'll be talking my leave then," Miroku began to turn to make his way back to the village. "Sango will want to know about this little bundle of joy sooner rather than later." Bowing slightly to the little family before him, he said, "I look forward to getting to know you more, little Koji. Welcome to the family." With that, he made his way down the path to his own family to share the news.

Kagome watched him leave, her heart still sore from the worries of before, but warm from his words.

He had welcomed Koji. Koji was home.

Kagome felt tears well up again, and before she could stop them, a few slipped down her cheek.

Inuyasha looked over at her in surprise.

"What are you crying over, wench?" Inuyasha's voice was abnormally quiet for him, and when she moved to look at him, she saw concern in his eyes.

Before she had a chance to tell him how happy she was, a whimper erupted from his arms. It was small, much quieter than the noises of earlier, and Kagome looked at Koji in surprise.

"Baby, what's wrong?" She reached to hold him; Koji practically lunged to be in her arms.

He buried his face into her chest, his whimpers muted by the lack of space but still ringing loud and clear through the air of the morning.

"He's upset by your tears…" Inuyasha omitted that he was just as upset by them, but Kagome understood.

Placing her hand on the boy's head as to pull him closer to her heart, she tucked her head low against the little one. She cooed to her new child, "I'm sorry, baby. I'm sorry I've upset you."

While Koji couldn't tell her what he was thinking, Inuyasha was able to and willing. "What's bothering you, Kagome?"

Kagome took a deep breath, closing her eyes and trying to relish the feeling of peace.

"Spit it out, woman. I can tell you're upset."

Kagome's eyebrow shot up in annoyance, but she did her best to remain calm. Inuyasha was only picking at her last nerves because he was also upset. There was no point in picking a fight with him, especially in front of the baby.

Although she desperately wanted to.

Kagome leveled her thinking as best as she could before confronting her husband.

Lifting her head, she met his gaze straight on. "Did you know that Koji was at that castle town?"

Inuyasha's ears flattened abruptly, revealing the truth. He had known.

He had kept it from her.

Inuyasha immediately knew Kagome was angry, but he had no clue as to how to fix it. He stumbled over his words for a second, before Kagome cut him off.

"You knew that there was a child at that god forsaken town and you didn't tell me. What if we wouldn't have found him? What if he hadn't had been in the castle compound that night, Inuyasha? Would you have let us leave without him?" Kagome felt the rage from before rise hotly to the surface and did nothing to tamper it down.

He had known and had kept it from her. It felt like the worst betrayal.

"It was just a rumor!"

"But you didn't tell me, Inuyasha!"

"No, because I wanted to protect you!"

Kagome felt the boy in her arms tense up and his ears push low at the rising voices. It was all the reminder she needed to calm down.

Breathing deeply and kissing the top of Koji's head again, Kagome trying to make sense of her husband. But, she couldn't.

Kagome asked, "What were you protecting me from, Inuyasha?"

Inuyasha had also calmed slightly, taking the momentary pause in the fight to step forward and embrace his wife and child. "From what I knew you would see. From the horrors that I lived through."

Kagome stilled, grasping for any clues at to what he might be trying to say. The light went on and she recognized what had happened.

He had been afraid of his past being replayed in front of their very eyes.

His fears had been realized that night.

Kagome watched his face twist, his eyes moving away from her. His head was spinning and he tried to figure out how to help Kagome understand he had just wanted to keep her safe.

To keep her from knowing what he knew the life of a half-demon was.

She wasn't from this time; she didn't understand the hatred that he faced as a child. She had met him and thought nothing of his bloodline or his appearance.

Kagome watched her husband's internal struggle play across his features. She wanted to still be angry because they were married and supposed to be a team now. He wasn't supposed to be keeping things from her, no matter what.

However, she found her anger had slipped away. He had his reasons for his silence. Although she didn't agree with them, she could understand where he was coming from.

She looked away and at the small boy in her arms. Inuyasha had probably lived through something similar, the only difference being that there was no one to protect him, like they had protected Koji.

No one had come to rescue Inuyasha when he was small.

Kagome felt tears sting once again, suddenly overwhelmed with knowing that Inuyasha had to learn how to fight on his own, live on his own, and survive on his own. No wonder he was a hard and complicated man now.

He had no one to keep him safe when he needed it most.

"Let's go inside, Inuyasha." Kagome bite back the tears and forced herself to look back at her husband, although she was met with silence and no acknowledgment.

Kagome walked inside, hoping he would follow her soon, and sat on the still out futon, Koji nestled into her arms.

It took him a few moments, but eventually he came inside and sat next to her.

No further words were exchange; all that had been need to be said was done.

Since they had planned on being gone for at least a week, if not longer, there was no food for them to eat. Once it became dinner time, Inuyasha was prompt in his hunt, returning with two rabbits for them to eat until either he or Kagome had a chance to get some fresh vegetables from the village.

Their garden outside was still to young to get any food from it, the blossoms just beginning to turn into fruits and vegetables.

Koji was more than pleased to eat more meat, and gobbled down everything as soon as it was passed to him. He sat on Inuyasha' lap, a happy boy squealing nonstop from sheer excitement. The tense feelings from before had faded greatly, and the new parents chose to focus on their boy above all else.

Kagome laughed along with her baby, enjoying his pleasure immensely. Inuyasha also smiled, and quipped at Kagome "One day getting fresh meat won't be so exciting."

"Might as well cherish it while it is," Kagome looked up at her husband, his gold eyes shimmering from his own joy. The hollowness from earlier was gone, and Kagome silently thanked whomever was listening for it.

There was little more to say during the meal, and once they had cleaned up the dishes (and the filthy little boy who managed to get almost as much food on him as in him), Kagome picked up a basket to go see Sango. Inuyasha made a face at her motion, causing her to clarify her intentions.

"I still need that fabric for him. Can't have a naked baby running around. What would people think of us?" While they both knew that what others thought of them meant nothing, Inuyasha answered her jab in kind.

"Well, they'd think us terrible parents. Although, something tells me that Koji might not enjoy being clothed all the time. It's a nice kind of freedom you know, to run around naked. He might think us terrible parents."

"You win some, you lose some." Kagome tossed back, laughing at the end. Koji had managed to grab Inuyasha's suikan and was viciously pulling on it. "Well, I'm going to go fast while you are still the center of someone else's attention."

"Be safe, wench. I've got two of you to look after now." Inuyasha scooped up Koji and put in his suikan. Koji erupted from delight and squirmed tirelessly, his skinny arms grabbing a hold of Inuyasha's hair and tugging.

He called up to the man holding him, wanting attention desperately, while Kagome snuck away down the path.

Sango was delighted to see Kagome, and immediately scooped her up in a hug. "You left a newlywed and came back a new mother! Miroku told me that you have the most beautiful little boy. I can't wait to meet him." Sango squeezed Kagome tight before pulling away to look her friend in the eye and becoming serious. "He will know he is loved so long as all of us are around, Kagome. I swear it."

Kagome felt the burn of tears again, this time at least not from anger or sadness, but from happiness. Miroku must have guessed the circumstances that lead to Koji joining their family and told Sango. Kagome nodded, "Always. He will always know he is loved."

"Well, the first sign of being love is being clothed." Sango lead Kagome into her home and offered her some cloth. "If I had something already made, I would give it to you, but I haven't quite gotten that far."

Kagome looked at the deep blue cloth in her hands. It was beautiful, and of good quality. The wove was tight and sturdy, meant to make an outfit that would last a long time. Kagome realized that Sango and Miroku must have picked it out for their own little boy, but was giving it to hers instead.

"Thank you," Kagome's voice was deep and clogged with emotion. She raised her eyes to her friends, and was met with such love that she felt the tears pour down her face unbidden.

"Thank you so much," she whispered again, pulling her friend in for a hug.

Such generosity reminded Kagome of how lucky she was to have this family supporting her.

The girls were napping, which Kagome was every grateful for, considering she wouldn't know how to appease them when she herself was crying. They were very sensitive to other people's emotions, and most likely would have become quite distraught at her tears – regardless of their origin. Miroku embraced her warmly as she moved out of the hut.

She forced herself to return the embrace, refusing to be upset any longer.

Kagome stayed only a moment longer, not wanting to risk waking the slumbering twins (and thankfully lulled baby). She waved her goodbyes after placing the cloth in the basket with tender loving care and headed off to see Kaede before she went back to her little family.

"What need have ye for such fine cloth?" Kaede questioned when Kagome showed it to her, asking if she would have time to spare in the next few days to show her how to sew an outfit.

"I have a son who needs an outfit. Sango was kind enough to give me this cloth."

Kaede regarded her with her one eye, looking her up and down. "A son take time to make, Kagome. I would have hoped I noticed you were making one."

Kagome laughed at the comment, raising one hand to her cheek as a smile spread across her face. Kaede's old lady quips that had gotten significantly more prevalent since Inuyasha became a constant in her life all those years ago. The woman she had met at fifteen years old would never had said such things to her.

"I as well, but I didn't make this one. The gods gave him to me." Kagome's smile faded slightly, as the memory of Koji at the castle town came to the front of her mind.

Kaede's one eye sparked with curiosity. "How so, child? Or should I call you mother now?"

Kagome laughed lightly at the question. "Well, mother now, I guess. Inuyasha and I saved him from that village. We named him Koji."

The details were spared, but Kaede's eye darkened with understanding. "So, you were given a little boy by the gods at the village you went to save."

"I think I wasn't there to save the village as much as I was there to save the boy, Kaede."

Kaede hummed slightly. "I think so too…." She said as she picked up the cloth from Kagome's limp hands. "Good quality. We should make it big for him to grow into it."

"I would like that." Kagome touched Kaede's hands, drawing the older woman's attention back to her. "I would like for him to grow."


	7. Chapter 7

Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha and company, nor am I making profit from this story. All rights belong to their respective owners.

Kagome departed from her visit to her friends in the village, feeling secure of her new boy's welcome into the community, but ever more exhausted. Her emotions had been running wild all day; her mind was numb from the constant ups and downs. She walked slowly, watching where her feet were landing over anything else.

The walk into the forest where her home was would normally have only taken a ten or so minutes if she were going at her normal pace. With the way she was walking, it was going to take double that.

Her feet were sure in their landing, knowing the way well. This allowed her mind to try to sort out what it was feeling and what she was going through.

Her heart still had a dull ache of betrayal from Inuyasha's choice to keep his suspicions from her, but the ache was accompanied by a matching one of sadness, knowing that Inuyasha had most likely just relived his own childhood.

She couldn't fathom what was going through his mind.

The edge of the clearing she called home was just in sight when she heard the noises from within.

Kagome was greeted with the sounds of wailing that was erupting from her home, causing her to pick up her feet and run the last few feet to the hut. She burst through the door, not bothering to slow down at all.

She was met with the sight of Koji clinging tightly to his father, who was standing in the genkan. Koji was releasing a banshee scream loud enough for Kagome to have a quick urge to cover her ears.

However, her need to comfort her baby boy overcame that urge and she rushed to be next to the father and the boy, holding her arms out.

Koji instantly stopped crying to look at Kagome before launching himself into his mother's arms, leaving Inuyasha's arms lurching to prevent him from falling on his face.

Kagome winced slightly at the impact. Despite not having much weight to him, Koji had landed hard onto her.

His whimpers and sighs were muffled by Kagome's chest, but his ears were still pinned back and his body abnormally tense. Kagome stroked his back, and cooed at him, trying her best to soothe his fears, all the while looking at her husband, whose ears were also buried in his hair and his eyes misty.

Leaning forward, Inuyasha placed his forehead on Kagome's shoulder. He let out a loud sigh, his breath tickling her neck.

"What happened?" She whispered to her husband. He only released a louder sigh, and turned his head to kiss her neck. His arms reached forward and he gathered her, and in part his son, to hold them close. Kagome snuggled her family as well, soothing them as best as she could. Eventually, Koji released the tension that had seized his little body, and slouched into in mother's arms, as Inuyasha's grip on them loosened.

Kagome didn't want to disturb the peace that had finally settled over her family, but her heart ached to know what had caused her baby boy and husband so much distress.

"Inuyasha?" She quietly inquired. Inuyasha softly shook his head to let her know he wasn't ready to talk.

Kagome stood for a long while, her two boys holding her closely enough for her to feel the welling sadness and stress that radiating off them in waves.

She wanted to cry again, still exhausted and buried deep in her own emotional turmoil.

She refused to cry, refused to give into her own distress, because her husband and son needed her. She would not let them down.

She pulled one arm away from Koji and rested it on Inuyasha's back, rubbing it slightly to offer a small amount of comfort. It may not be much, but Kagome knew that Inuyasha would appreciate the small gesture.

Inuyasha's chest shuddered with a deep breath, a hardly audible whisper of her name escaping his lips.

She could feel his jaw working, as if he wanted to say something but he couldn't.

Koji eventually lifted himself away from her bosom just enough to gaze into her eyes, the remnants of tears a powerful reminder to his mother of what had just occurred. She looked into eyes that told her much more than she ever thought possible.

She saw fear in his eyes, along with desperation to an extent she had never felt. Emotions swirled around in those brown irises, speaking volumes but to someone who couldn't understand.

Kagome felt guilty in that moment. She had grown up loved and safe. She had never gone a day wondering if she was wanted or if she was loved. She had never gone hungry, nor had she ever wondered if she would survive.

This little boy had gone through all that and more.

So had Inuyasha.

Kagome felt even more guilty for being angry before. Inuyasha had only the beset of intentions, but it was hard to communicate with someone who couldn't understand you. No wonder he kept his silence about Koji in the village.

He understood in ways that she never would what was going on.

Kagome steeled herself for the future. She may never be able to grasp what it was like to grow up unsure of your place or to feel unloved and unwanted, but she could make sure her boys never felt that way ever again.

She could offer them a home and unconditional love.

She could give them what she had in hopes that their past would stay in the past.

She silently promised them that she would do whatever it took to make sure they knew they were loved and wanted. She would do whatever was needed to keep them safe.

Kagome soften her gaze away from Koji's eyes that were boring into the very depts of her own soul, as if seeking answers himself. Closing her eyes, she leaned her head against Inuyasha's in a soft, comforting manner.

She breathed in his scent, finding comfort in the familiar intimacy of the moment.

In their youth, when they were so young and so insecure, they had spent many hours leaning on each other in comfortable and amenable silence.

How long ago that all seemed at this moment.

Kagome opened her eyes at the sound of snuffling in her lap. Koji had gripped her front and was pulling lightly, as if afraid of rejection from the motion. Kagome took in his white knuckles and desperate grasp. His eyes were still wide, but new tears were forming on the edges of eyes eyelids.

Kagome felt her heart squeeze painfully as she looked down at the little boy. His insecurities were tearing at him, she could tell. It was her job, as his new mother, to put them to rest.

Kagome smiled down at him, fighting her own tears but refusing to let them fall. Once he had relaxed his grip, no longer so wholesomely afraid of her rejecting him, she looked around her for something to keep him busy.

She noticed the long blades of grass that were swaying lightly in the wind, as if calling to her. Kagome remembered back when she was small how much she loved to pull apart the grass, finding endless entertainment and spending countless hours in her youth sitting outside, grooming the lawn.

Thinking that perhaps Koji might find the same sense of entertainment that she had, Kagome extended one of her harms to pluck a particularly long blade of grass. She offered the green item to Koji in a mild peace offering.

He stared at it for a moment, as if wondering what it could be or signify. Kagome tried not to be sad realizing that he had not been exposed to normal childhood things, such as pulling apart grass outside. She demonstrated, removing her other hand from her husband's back to pull the blade apart into small strings.

Koji watched, fascinated by the destruction of the small plant and so vibrantly curious.

Once the grass blade was just a bunch of strips in Kagome's hand, she put the remnants on the ground beside her.

Koji's eyes never once left her hands, watching and learning what she was showing him.

Kagome felt Inuyasha's head turn just enough so his cheek was on her shoulder and he could watch what was going on. Kagome smiled lightly to herself, pleased that they had managed to find some small semblance of peace for the moment, although the heaviness in the air remained.

Kagome pulled up another long blade of grass and held it out to Koji.

This time, his boney hands grasped it with glee.

Kagome found herself grateful that he was so young, able to move on from stress quickly given the right distraction.

He turned the blade of grass in his tiny fist, a soft hum resonating from his chest. Inuyasha leaned back and looked down, his eyes teeming with tears that refused to fall, taking in the sight of his now appeased boy. He also grabbed a piece of elongated piece of grass, and offered it to Koji, who was more than pleased to accept a second peace offering.

Koji inspected at both blades for a long time, admiring the shades of green that Inuyasha knew he couldn't fully see, but intrigued him nevertheless.

The new father reached out, and using the lightest pressure from the pads of his fingers, he stroked his boy's soft, yet coarse, hair. Inuyasha was thankful that Koji had become calmer, although a slight pang remained that it was Kagome who was able to sooth him.

Not him.

He chastised himself internally that he shouldn't be upset that Kagome was better at being a parent than he was. Kagome had been more of a mother to Shippo than he had been a father, and nurturing came natural to her.

He barely remembered what it was like to have a parent, so he wouldn't know right away how to be one.

He was going to have to learn, he reminded himself, how to be a father as much as Koji was going to have to learn how to be a son. They would grow together in this, as a family.

Lifting a small piece of Koji's red hair, Inuyasha tried to memorize the feeling of it in his hand. He tried to burn into his memory this moment of stillness and happiness with his son.

Kagome watched Inuyasha's hands tenderly touch Koji, a gesture she had received a thousand times before, but had never seen given to another soul before. It was a truly a sight, and she realized that for all the love Inuyasha held in his heart, this was a special love that no one could ever match or take away from him or his son. It wasn't the love for a child that he had for Sango's twins and baby boy, or the love for an elder that he held for Kaede.

It dulled the love for a family that he held for Sango, Miroku, and Shippo, and the love for a spouse he had for her was barely an ember compared to this.

The love Kagome was witnessing was something that she hadn't really ever seen before, and she was in absolute awe of it.

Inuyasha finally lifted his eyes to look at her. His eyes shimmered with unsplit tears, but there was a light of determination that shone brighter. Filled suddenly with more love for the man before her than she had ever felt, Kagome leaned in to give him a small kiss. However, he spoke before she could reach him..

"When he realized you were gone, he panicked," Inuyasha's mouth was firm and his jaw tense as he spoke. "It was total panic. He thought you had left him."

Kagome felt her throat close up, as she searched the golden eyes of her husband for any clue as to what she was supposed to say.

He continued, "How could I console him when face the exact same fear nearly every night in my dreams?" Inuyasha took in a deep, shuddering breath, speaking of things Kagome had only suspected before.

"When I feel the same panic every time I can't find you? How could I assure him that everything was alright, when I can't even console myself? When the only thing that can calm me down or reassure me is to have you near?"

Inuyasha released a shaking breath, and dropped his eyes, unable to look at Kagome any longer. He felt shame for what he was admitting, but he knew Kagome would understand. "What kind of father can I be, if I can't even console my own son?"

Kagome's arms latched onto Inuyasha's broad and tense shoulders, pulling him close to her. Koji was squished between their bodies, but he offered no complaint, merrily enjoying being close to his parents.

Kagome swallowed back her own tears before speaking.

"Don't say that," Kagome pleaded her husband. "Please don't say that. Inuyasha, you haven't given yourself a chance." Her voice cracked as she rasped out her case. "We haven't had a chance to even be parents yet. We'll figure this out yet. We love him, and we love each other."

Inuyasha's hands moved forward to cradle the small of his wife's back, and he moved his head to rest in the crook of her neck again.

Kagome rubbed his shoulders and back for a little while, before stating with finality that no one could challenge, "I will never leave you. Either of you." Inuyasha released a sob, and Kagome felt her shoulder begin to dampen. She wrapped her arms tighter around her husband, and fought her own battle with tears.

Koji, sensing his parents' distress, did what any loving child would do. He offered them the blades of grass that had calmed him.

The angle was just right that he stuck one of the grass pieces right up Inuyasha's left nostril in his good intents, causing his father to jerk back in surprise and discomfort with a slight yelp. Koji redacted his arm quickly, and pinned his ears down in submission.

His eyes were wide with concern and fear from the sudden reaction to his offering. Kagome felt her draw drop, unable to process that quickly what had happened and watched Inuyasha wiggle his nose fervently around in an attempt to readjust.

Inuyasha's face twisted, his eyes closing and his ear pulling back tight.

Koji's ears flattened even more as he shrunk back into his mother's embrace.

Finally, after a few tense moments, Inuyasha sneezed several times, lough coughs erupting from him as he got his senses back. With watery eyes from the nose prodding, Inuyasha took in his son's demeanor. The guilt came back ten-fold when he saw Koji's anxious body language.

He had upset his son – again.

Kagome could feel both of them begin to tense up, motivating her into action.

"Oh Koji, it's okay, you just startled Otou-san. It's okay." Kagome cooed at her boy in her lap, leaning forward to grab Inuyasha's hand. Inuyasha, once he felt Kagome's touch, snapped out of his guilty thoughts and picked up Koji under his armpits to pull him close.

He took a deep breath and patted Koji's back. Koji slouched into his father at the motion, both in submission and relaxation.

He tilted his head downwards and touched noses to Koji. "What were you trying to do, kid? Seeing how far up the grass could go?" he teased.

Koji, once again, held up the blade of grass, narrowly avoiding the already violated nostril. Inuyasha picked the item out of his son's hands, and admired it. "It's a nice blade…" he told the boy. Inuyasha raised one eyebrow and looked down at Koji. "…are you sure you want to give it to me?"

Koji, hearing his father's voice, perked up and pushed off of Inuyasha's chest just enough to look him in the eye. He beamed at his father, happy that his present had been accepted and the interaction he was receiving. He twisted his body, aiming to offer the other blade of grass to his mother.

When the small arm extended towards her, Kagome put a hand over her heart and smiled at Koji.

"Oh my, thank you Koji! How kind of you!" Kagome accepted the gift gently with her hands, taking a moment to look it over like Koji had when he had first received it. Koji smiled back, and clapped his hands together in glee, fingers splayed wide from lack of coordination. Kagome released a hearty laugh, which caused her two boys to join her.

Inuyasha put Koji down on the ground, and quickly Koji moved to find himself another blade of grass. Inuyasha offered his suggestions, standing up to follow when Koji crawled a little way away.

Kagome stayed in her seated spot, watching the father and son duo bond. She felt beyond tired, exhausted from a long day of tumultuous emotions, but at the same time, calm from the momentary quiet that surrounded her new family.

She knew, in that moment, all would be okay.


	8. Chapter 8

Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha and company, nor am I making profit from this story. All rights belong to their respective owners.

It was another few days of being a small and happy family before Inuyasha pointed out to Kagome a key issue that she had forgotten in her joy of being a new mother.

"How's he gonna get down the well?" Inuyasha mused out loud to his wife who was attempting to coax the slightly more rambunctious toddler into the river to wash him up and failing miserably.

Kagome stopped in her tracks, meaning the naked, but unashamed, Koji was able to squirm away from her and run towards his father, squealing in delight at his escape from the cold water. Kagome blinked a few times, before stepping out of the river herself and standing at the bank.

"I hadn't thought of that…" Kagome admitted, putting her hands on her hips. "Well, I guess…." She grasped for a thought or reason.

Inuyasha sat down on the ground and allowed the dirty toddler to scramble into his lap. He draped the sleeves of his suikan around the boy to keep him warm. "We're family now. He's got to be able to go down, right?"

Kagome locked eyes with her husband, considering his words carefully. "I would think so, but we can't just jump down and risk him not being able to pass through."

Koji's giggling hadn't ceased, and he was now trying to gain his mother's attention to play peek-a-boo with his father's sleeves.

Kagome couldn't help but be beyond charmed by her little boy's antics, and played with him, covering her face with her own hands before 'boo'-ing at him. Inuyasha, too, was amused by the game the toddler was playing, having finally figured it out just a day or two before, and laughed with his wife and child.

Eventually, Inuyasha conceded to his wife's demands of bathing the child, who smelled suspiciously as if he had tangled with a stink demon, stripping himself down to his fundoshi and made it so the baby boy had no one to hide behind.

Together they waded into the river where Inuyasha turned Koji over to Kagome for washing. Squatting down and rising himself off quickly, Inuyasha silently agreed with his boy that this was the worst way to wash up.

Koji vocalized his displeasure at the temperature of the river, which Inuyasha reciprocated, shouting at Kagome, "Hurry! Hurry!"

Inuyasha made quick work of his wash to be able to shake off the water and wait on the bank for his son. "Hurry Kagome! He's going to freeze!" Inuyasha continued his teasing in time with Koji's wails of anger.

Kagome rolled her eyes at Inuyasha's outburst, but was quick in washing Koji and wrapping him up with his father's suikan to warm him up, before placing him in his father's arms to be consoled. Inuyasha patted his back in a comforting manner.

Koji buried his head into Inuyasha's chest and whimpered.

Inuyasha patted his back and spoke comforting words to him, assuring his son that his father understood his pain and suffering.

Kagome washed herself up, slightly more thoroughly that she had with Koji because of her built tolerance to the river's temperature. When she looked back at her boys, she couldn't help laughing when she saw deep brown, judgmental eyes peering at her from a bundle of red.

"Koji! Why are you looking at me like that?" Kagome exclaimed, splashing out of the water as she reached for her clothes to warm herself up.

Inuyasha answered for his boy, "Because you must be insane to spend that long in the river voluntarily."

Kagome snorted back at her husband, crinkling up her nose at him. She leaned forward and gave him quick kiss before scooping up Koji so Inuyasha could get dressed. Koji continued to regard his mother suspiciously, all the while his father tied up his hakama and picked up the toddler's clothes that needed to be washed as well.

"What do you think he got into?" Kagome asked her husband as he rinsed the little outfit in the river to remove the majority of the smell. Inuyasha shot a snide look over shoulder and said, "Your cooking."

Kagome gasped in mock horror, but the smile at the teasing still spread across her face. She tried to keep it together, but when she went to stage whisper to her son that his father was awful, she saw the baby's curled nose, and lost it laughing instead.

Dinner that night was the next time bringing Koji to see his grandmother was approached.

"We were supposed to go to dinner with Mama quite a while ago. I bet she's worried sick about us." Kagome fed Koji some rice gruel, most of which was going down his bare front, but his hands happily patting his stomach ensured the food went across the room to his father's lap as well, not that the man minded.

Inuyasha paused in eating his dinner and thought for a moment. "Maybe one of us could go over and let her know we're okay? I could go, since I don't think he'll like being separated from you for a long time."

He thought of how Koji had screamed in fear when Kagome had just gone down to the village for a half the day. He didn't know if he could endure another episode like that.

Kagome tried to scoop more of the food into the weight gaining toddler but failed because his attention was long gone. She set the bowl of gruel aside and picked up the damp rag beside her and wiped up the leftover food from his body before letting him roam over to his favorite collection of rocks that he proceeded to turn over in his hands and admire.

Picking up her own dinner, Kagome finally responded to Inuyasha. "That might be best if you go. Then I could go to talk to Sango and Miroku to see if they have any ideas on how to get Koji through the well. Maybe even Kaede would have an idea."

Inuyasha grunted his agreement, before the family settled into their normal peaceful dinner.

The next morning, Kagome woke before her husband, but not before her little boy. Koji was sitting quite comfortably on his father's chest, as he did every morning, and was intently watching his father's ears' movements. Koji had been mimicking Inuyasha's every movement as of late, as if trying to learn how to be a yokai from him.

Kagome shifted herself upright just enough to be able to rest her head on her husband's left shoulder, angling herself to be able to watch Koji a little bit better.

Inuyasha's nose twitched, so did Koji's. Inuyasha's ears titled forward, as did Koji's. A slight rustle from directly outside the door drew Inuyasha's right ear to listen more closely, and Koji pulled his left ear to do the same.

Kagome watched the scene for a while, a smile growing across her face and her heart expanding with more love for the babe on her husband's chest than she had ever thought imaginable.

Eventually, a small bug landed on Inuyasha's right ear, as was to be expected when living in the forest. Inuyasha pulled his ear back against his head to remove the insect, but before his ear could come forward into a more relaxed position, Koji launched himself forward to be able to see where the ear went, his hands landing heavily on his father's head and his chest colliding with his father's face.

Kagome let out a gasp when she saw Koji crash into Inuyasha but wasn't able to react fast enough.

Inuyasha let out a muffled yelp, grabbing Koji around his chest and lifting himself straight up into the air. Now both of Inuyasha's ears were hidden in his hair entirely due to his surprise.

"And what do you think you are doing, twerp? What kind of good boy wakes his papa up like that?" Inuyasha regarded his son with wide, shocked eyes, before looking over at his wife, who had rolled off of his shoulder when he lifted Koji in the air. Kagome shrugged lightly, before moving to get ready for the day.

"I think he wanted to know where your ear went," she said as she took the boy from his father's hands.

Inuyasha rubbed his face harshly with both of his hands, before asking Kagome, "Come back to bed. We could sleep a little while longer."

"Ah ah ah, I don't think so. Baby says it's morning time, which means we need to be up!" Kagome bounced Koji up and down on her hip, causing the boy to erupt into laughter. She continued to gather what she needed to make breakfast for the three of them, switching which hip Koji was on depending on which direction she needed to bend.

Eventually, Inuyasha got up, knowing that Kagome would need him to take Koji when she started to make breakfast. He put a little bit of water in a bowl and placed Koji in front of it to entertain himself for a little while.

There once was a time that Kagome who have been hard pressed to allow such a mess to be made in her perpetually tidy home, but motherhood had taught her so much more than she ever could have imagined, including that sometimes, a little mess makes the best memories.

As Koji giggled and smacked his hands around the bowl, water flying every which way, Inuyasha folded up and tucked away their futon, before helping Kagome set up a simple meal of miso, rice, and a little bit of pickled vegetables. Koji was displeased to be pulled away from his solitary game but was quickly appeased when he realized he was going to get food out of the mild inconvenience.

They made the normal small talk, easy going as ever, and excited every time that Koji bubbled out a sound out two at them, hoping soon that he would speak his first word.

Kagome swaddled up her little boy, who squirmed for a few seconds before he realized that he was going outside. Inuyasha walked with them to the edge of the forest, which was the designated stop of separation.

"Say bye-bye to Otou-san, Koji," Kagome lifted his hand to wave goodbye to Inuyasha, but was stopped by a whimper from the boy, who looked up at her in horror and large tears rolling down his face. Kagome dropped his little hand and immediately held him closer to her chest. "Oh baby, what's wrong?!"

Koji released a wail at his mother's question, continuing his cry until his father strode over and held him and his mother tight to him.

"Pup, what's wrong?" Inuyasha spoke gruffly, trying to remain calm for his son's sake, but fighting his own inner panic at his child's cries. Koji lifted his eyes up to his father's face before lurching himself into Inuyasha's arms, clinging to his father with all his might.

Inuyasha moved to support his son in the boy's attempts to climb closer to his face to nuzzle into his neck. Inuyasha patted the boy's back, continuing to speak to the child in hope to soothe him. Kagome rose to her tip toes to kiss Koji's little face covered in tears.

Koji calmed himself but wouldn't allow himself to be removed from Inuyasha's arms, wails escaping his tiny chest every time Kagome went to hold him.

Sango was the one who spoke with reason in regards to Koji's fears. "You guys haven't separated from each other since you first arrived here. Perhaps he thinks Inuyasha is going away for good?"

"I would never leave him – "Inuyasha began to protest, but Miroku cut him off.

"We don't know what happened to his parents. Perhaps he was left by them? We have assumed that they died, but in all honestly, we don't know. Perhaps his father left and his mother was killed, so now he is terrified to have either of you separate?

"It is difficult to know how to comfort him without knowing what happened to him, but it is also impossible for us to know what he has endured." Miroku looked at the tiny body pressed tightly against his friend, whimpering and quivering regardless of the presence of his new-found parents near him.

"Well, we'll just have to teach him that Otou-san leaving is no big deal." Sango planted her hands on her hips, becoming the problem solver. "Girls," she drew the attention of her twins, who were playing in the corner unfazed by the wailing of Koji most likely due to their baby brother having desensitized them. "Say bye-bye to Otou-san."

Miroku looked at his wife in confusion, as the girls lifted their hands and waved at him. "Bye-bye!" the girls chimed in unison. Koji lifted his head to look at the girls, who were saying goodbye to their father without any remorse.

Sango pushed Miroku towards the door to the hut, giving him a kiss on his cheek before saying goodbye as well. Kagome took advantage Koji's momentary confusion about the situation to lift him from Inuyasha's arms into hers. She whispered, "Bye-bye, Otou-san."

Koji hiccupped, but didn't cry. Inuyasha walked over to Miroku, turning to imitate the wave the other man made towards his girls. The girls had long since lost interested in the fact that their father was leaving, returning to their game. Koji kept half an eye on them and the other on his father, who slipped quietly through the reed covering.

Inuyasha hovered nearby, just in case Koji cried out for him again, but Miroku reminded him that he probably had a limited amount of time to get down the well and back before Koji couldn't handle the separation anymore.

"Come get me when you get back," Miroku asked Inuyasha before making his way down towards the center of the village, "because I think we should arrive together for the little one's sake."

Inuyasha nodded, but Miroku didn't see, before he sped off to the well to let Mama Higurashi what had occurred over the last several weeks. He didn't even bother to halt when he reached the well, instead choosing to glide from his run down the well.


	9. Chapter 9

Disclaimer: I do not own _Inuyasha_ , nor am I making any profit from this story. All rights belong to their respective owners.

Inuyasha barreled through the other side of the well, his speed retained from him run from the village. His first steps in modern time were on the top landing of the staircase out of the well house.

Sliding the door opened with caution drilled into him from Kagome, Inuyasha saw Grandpa making his morning rounds on the paths, checking for any litter or unwanted plants. Approaching the elder, Inuyasha stood alongside him as he bent forward to pick up a leaf. Before the young man had joined his family, Grandpa would have been startled by this. But now, he was immune to such surprises.

He straightened his spine as best as he could, he looked up calmly at the tall man who towered over him, calmly remarking, "You've been gone for a long time, young man. We've been worried about you two." Grandpa looked over Inuyasha's shoulder. "Where is Kagome?"

Inuyasha turned his chest towards the house to indicate he wanted to go inside. "Long story. Where's Mama?" He asked as Mama Higurashi flew through the front door and ran to him, not bothering to change into outdoor shoes in her excitement to see Inuyasha in the yard.

"Inuyasha, dear! Where have you been? We've been so worried!" She scooped him into her arms, or as much of him as she could. It was so similar to how Kagome snuggled Koji that Inuyasha felt a small pang of pain at the fear that Koji would not be able to meet this woman.

Inuyasha hugged her back, perhaps a little tighter than normal, but if Mama noticed, she said nothing. Instead, she leaned back to look at his face and further inquired about the absence of her daughter, "Where's Kagome? Is everything alright?"

He locked eyes with her before answering her questions. "Kagome's okay. But she couldn't come with me because of our son."

There was a moment of silence where Inuyasha watched confusion cloud Mama's eyes before Mama whispered, "I didn't know you two were expecting. Is everything okay? Are there complications?" Her arms released him so her hands could stroke the sides of his face, "Are Kagome and the baby okay? We have better medicine here, Inuyasha. We can take care of them here."

Inuyasha's face flushed as he realized the miscommunication that his comment had caused, his ears pinning back in embarrassment. "Ah, Kagome's not expecting. We found a little boy in need of a family and took him in."

Mama visibly relaxed, comforted that her daughter was not in danger. She released Inuyasha's face to rest her hands on her hips, before taking a step back and tensing up again. "Well, where is he? I've got to meet my new grand baby, Inuyasha."

Grandpa had stepped closer to the pair when he had heard something about a little boy, and announced with a firm smack on the red robed man, "That's right, boy. Where's my great-grand child?"

Inuyasha looked back and forth between the two of them before clearing his throat, his embarrassment not quite fading away. "We weren't sure he'd make it through the well." It was strange and difficult to speak his fears into reality, despite how firmly they had clenched and held on to his soul over.

Mama didn't hesitate in her response to him. "Oh of course he will." Mama spoke with such conviction that Inuyasha found comfort from it. "The well knows he's got a family over here to meet. Besides, he's yours and Kagome's baby. There's no way he won't be able to pass through."

"They shouldn't just toss him down it, though. That would be traumatic for any child," Grandpa lightly chastised Mama, a slight and humored smile tweaking the sides of his mouth. "Kagome or Inuyasha should tie him to their back and climb down slowly so he knows he's safe and can figure out what's going on."

Although he knew he shouldn't be surprised at them immediately problem solving for his son, it still did. He felt even more grateful that he and Koji had found this family to join, a family that would truly accept and love them always.

Mama smiled and tilted her head in a teasing way. "I wasn't saying drop him down it and hope for the best. Knowing Kagome, she wouldn't allow him to be handled in such a way." Mama patted his chest, and said comfortingly to him, "And you too, Inuyasha. I know you wouldn't allow anyone to do that to your boy either."

Inuyasha nodded to indicate he was listening. Grandpa was talking about some sort of contraption they could get at the store to tie Koji to them, and Mama was asking if they still had the one from when Souta was little. Inuyasha was thoroughly pleased with the idea. Why hadn't he thought of it? Why hadn't he been so sure that Koji would pass through, like Mama had been?

Mama suddenly gasped and grabbed his arm. "Oh! What's his name?" she exclaimed, her eyes bright and excited.

"Koji." Inuyasha breathed out, his perpetual fear of rejection coming to surface as he subconsciously worried that they wouldn't like the name.

"Good strong name. Did you pick it?" Grandpa spoke approvingly, nodding his head up and down, while tucking his arms behind his back to shuffle towards the house.

Inuyasha's ears sat straight up, indicating he was extremely happy with Grandpa's approval of the name he chose. "I did. I thought it suited him well," he called after the elder.

"That it does," Mama spoke as she took his arm into hers and lead him into the house. "We need to make a care package for the new mom. She needs some clothes, soap, maybe even some baby food. We'll have to go into town. What time do you have to be home?"

Inuyasha felt dazed at the sudden acceptance from Kagome's family, even though he knew that it would happen. Having been turned away and hated for so long, he struggled to understand or expect the unconditional love that Kagome's family extended to him. He felt his heart squeeze a little as he thought of how grateful he was that Koji was going to grow up loved by so many people. He started a little when Mama paused to look at him, a question gleaming in her eyes.

Inuyasha pulled his ears back, bashful that he hadn't been listening. Before he could apologize, she repeated the question.

"Oh, lunch time. Koji doesn't like to be separated from us. He has fit if we aren't there for very long."

"I can understand that. I'll just have to make you three a picnic then. How old is he?" Mama took her house slippers off in the genkan, now that they had been outside, slipping on a spare pair of slippers. Inuyasha paused to wipe his feet on the small rug next to the door, before following his mother-in-law to the kitchen barefoot. She took a quick scan of the contents of the refrigerator, creating a list of items, as Inuyasha gave her more details about her new grandson.

"Kagome thinks he's just over a year and half, but it's hard to tell. He's real small." Inuyasha watched Mama process the information. "We've started to give him more food than just a rice gruel and broth, and his new favorite food is smoke mackerel. We have to make sure it's not in a visible spot or he eats it as soon as we aren't looking." Inuyasha couldn't hide the smile in his voice as he told her stories of Koji, who was becoming steadily more of a handful every day. "Just the other day, he caught his first fish in the river with me and was disappointed that it didn't come pre-smoked."

Mama tore off the page of the notebook that she had written her list on, folding it and placing it in her pocket. "He sounds like a happy boy," she smiled. "I can't wait to meet him." She motioned to him that they were heading into town.

Inuyasha continued to tell her all about Koji, his likes and dislikes, when he wants Kagome to hold him and when he wants Inuyasha to comfort him. He followed her out the door, pausing only to grab his hat to cover his ears.

Together they walked to the store where Mama picked up ingredients for the picnic for her daughter's new family, as well as some baby food for her new grandson. They idly walked through stores and Inuyasha carried the basket and all the goods Mama intended to purchase.

Inuyasha was recalling when Koji figured out how to strip himself and run away faster than Kagome could catch him when Mama surprised him by laughing and saying Kagome had done the same as a child.

"Really? I wouldn't have thought that." Inuyasha paused for a moment as Mama loaded up the shopping basket with instant ramen, not evening pausing to take in what flavors she was packing away for him.

Mama nodded but continued her shopping. "Oh yes, Kagome was a handful as a child. Always getting herself into all sorts trouble. She was just the busiest little girl you could ever imagine. I remember when she was a toddler, she managed to get her shoes and shirt of in a supermarket before I realized what she was doing," Mama was nonchalant in her retelling of Kagome's inability to resist her wiles as a child as she put cabbage in the basket on Inuyasha's arm.

Inuyasha looked at her in awe, wondering what other tales of Kagome's youth she would be willing to tell him.

"Has little Koji started to wake you up in the morning? Kagome was the queen of early rising as a child; not so much as a teenager, but when she was four, maybe five, she started to get up at the crack of dawn and roam the house. I never was able to quite figure out she did that." Mama lead him to the checkout.

Inuyasha nodded firmly, placing the basket down in front of the young cashier, before adding more about Koji. "It's a fairly small hut, so normally I'm able to always hear what's going on in it. But the last few weeks, he's figure out how to be quiet enough that I don't hear him until he's made it to the food and is scarfing away as much as he physically can."

The cashier let out a small laugh as she rung up each item. "My little sister has figured out how to undo locks on our cabinets and does the same. I swear my parents are going to have a heart attack with the stunts she pulls. She's four and doesn't like to be contained. Sometimes, she will get outside and just wander the neighborhood."

Mama laughed goodheartedly and Inuyasha asked, worried, "What are they doing to prevent her from getting out?"

The teenage girl shrugged. "Baby proofing the house didn't work well for her, so I guess my parents are going to have to barricade the house or something. We live in a nice neighborhood, which is good."

Inuyasha listened intently, furiously thinking of what he could to barricade his home in case Koji decided to go for a late-night walk on him one day like this teenager's little sister. Mama patted his shoulder gently, while looking at the cashier. "It sounds like your little sister is making a lot of friends in your neighborhood," as warmly as any mother could.

"Yeah, she sure is. Sometimes when I'm walking, the neighbors ask how she is. They don't ask about me, just about her. She's everyone's favorite little trouble maker. Your total is 1,954 yen please. Do you need a bag?"

Mama pulled her hand from Inuyasha's shoulder to count out the money for the items and indicated that a bag would be needed. The cashier placed the bag on top of the food in the basket. Having been able to pull out exact change, Mama collected the receipt and took the basket to fill the bag with the groceries. Inuyasha was still lost heavily in thoughts, so Mama spoke to reassure him.

"Oh Inuyasha, I'm sure Koji is just so happy to have a home that he wouldn't dream of leaving it ever. You shouldn't worry about him getting out on you. If he goes anywhere, it will be to find you. Now here, take the bag and we'll go home to make some lunch." Inuyasha mutely took the bag from her hands and followed her home.

The walk was nearly silent the whole way, only the sounds of traffic and the harsh cawing of crows, but right as they approached the steps, Inuyasha paused and asked Mama, "Do you think he is happy with us? Do you think he wants to stay with us?"

Mama, two steps up, paused before turning around and bent down to embrace her son-in-law. She squeezed him tight before whispering, "I know he does, Inuyasha. I know he wants to be a part of your family." She stood for several seconds, embracing Inuyasha tightly before he raised his arms to hug her back. They stood for a moment, each one relishing in the other's presence and fighting off tears that threatened to spill. Mama lifted her back up so that she stood just barely over the young man and wiped the tears from her eyes.

"Well," she spoke, her voice foggy and cracking from emotion, "we'd better get home to make lunch for you and the little one. I'm sure he will want you home soon."

Inuyasha nodded mutely and rolled his shoulders to release some of the tension that had risen up in his body from earlier. Mama walked carefully up the steps, mindful of where her feet were going and aiming to re-center herself before reaching the house. As if aware of his mother-in-law's thoughts, Inuyasha followed suit and walked quietly and calmly up the steps to the shrine house after her.

Grandpa had moved from sweeping the walkways to sorting out the shed, an activity he loved to do when Inuyasha was around, and roped his grandson-in-law to help him with the larger items. Inuyasha agreed to help, wanting to have something to take his mind off of his worries, and indicated he would be right back once he had put the groceries in the kitchen for Mama.

Mama smiled brightly, resembling Kagome so much that Inuyasha had to laugh a little, and told him that she would call him once everything was packaged up. She added, as he walked out the door, "Don't let Grandfather bully you too much! He's had his eye on moving the old purification fountain for a while now and has been waiting for you."

Inuyasha barked a short laugh at the thought of being asked to move the large stone purification fountain out of the shed into a different spot on the shrine grounds, but called his thanks for the warning afterwards.

Grandpa was far too eager to see Inuyasha exit the house as he called him over to a storage shed he had not visited before. Although he was suspicious about the task he was being asked to complete, he wandered over regardless.

"What's in here, old man?" Inuyasha covered his nose with his sleeve to starve of a sneezing fit, although he knew it wouldn't stop it.

Grandpa was unfazed by the comment and pulled Inuyasha further into the small room that looked like it hadn't been opened in decades. "Come look, Inuyasha!" Grandpa was far too excited, and Inuyasha narrowed his eyes, wondering just how much trouble he had found himself in. "It's our old purification fountain. It developed a large crack in it while I was young, so my father had a new one made. But the young people love to see historical items, and since this is a pre-war relic, I'm sure it will bring in many new visitors!"

While Inuyasha didn't understand the 'pre-war' comment, he took that this item must be old, and rare to find. Grandpa shifted some boxes around and revealed a large stone basin with a dragon water spout at the back of it. Inuyasha's left eyebrow went straight up as he regarded probably the ugliest thing he had seen in a while. The dragon was not the best handiwork in the world, and had the proportions of a drawing from Shippo. Its eyeballs were far too large, teeth sticking which way and that, and the tongue looked significantly more like a worm than anything else. It had feet that would only have looked remotely decent on a dead bird and the tail resembled a smoked fish after Koji got a hold of it.

Grandpa thought people wanted to see this?

But, Mama was right to warn him about the fountain. The thing must have been at least 150 years old, if not significantly older and not in the world's greatest condition. Grandpa wasn't kidding about the large crack in it. The basin on one side was near in two pieces, and Inuyasha wasn't sure how he would move it without aggravating the crack and completely destroying the thing.

Grandpa, seemingly unaware of any issue with moving the fountain, blabbered on, excitedly waiving his hand around as he spoke. "We can put it back where it used to be, which is not too far from the well house. There was an old shrine over there back in my grandfather's day, but it burned down and was never rebuilt. But imagine how many people would come to learn about it!"

"The well house? You want me to move this thing over to the well house? That's half-way across the yard!" Inuyasha turned on his heel to peek outside the door to plot a way over to the well house.

Grandpa tucked his head under Inuyasha's and looked outside the shed as well. "Yes! It was left to the right of the well house before. You can still see the stones it sat on so many years ago!" Grandpa pointed to a spot that wasn't well defined.

Sighing to himself and resigning his next few hours to trying to prefect the location of the large stone basin with the most grotesque dragon spout, Inuyasha told Grandpa, "Before I pick it up, you have to show me exactly where you want it."

Grandpa brushed past him and scurried down the way towards the stones, but turns out there were a lot of stones. "Hmmm," Grandpa walked back and forth across the stones to the left of the well house, but couldn't seem to recall where the fountain went. Inuyasha watched him, bemused at the situation, but also proud of himself for knowing to make sure Grandpa knew where they went. If not, he would be standing here holding the stone abomination and getting irritated.

Being a father had taught him a thing or two.

"I'm going to have to consult our old maps," Grandpa conceded defeat for the moment and started to trek back to a different shed house, one Inuyasha was a least partially familiar with.

When Mama peeked her head outside to tell Inuyasha the picnic was ready, she was greeted by the sight of Inuyasha holding up a scroll, with several other scrolls tucked along his feet, so that Grandpa could try to figure out where the stone fountain went. Periodically, Inuyasha would roll up the current scroll and pull out a different one for Grandpa to inspect, but it didn't appear whatever task they were attempting was being accomplished very well.

Deciding to leave them alone for a little while, Mama stepped back into the house to clean the kitchen. Once the dishes were cleaned and the floor swept, Mama looked at the time and realized it was probably as late as Inuyasha could be with them.

At some point the fountain had made its way out of the shed it had resided in for who knows how long, and was now positioned on a stone slab that looked like it had just been cleaned, most likely by the young man who was now topless and barking at Grandpa who barked right back.

"You said this was the right one. I can't move this thing too much or it will break, you know," Inuyasha was pointing a finger at the basin. "The maps said this was the right place."

"I know, you loud boy, but it doesn't look right to me. I think it is supposed to go back more," Grandpa shuffled around the fountain, inspecting all the angles.

Mama called out to them, "It will just have to wait until next time. Inuyasha needs to be heading home to Koji and Kagome."

Inuyasha looked over at her, his relief at the end of the task apparent. He scooped up his kosode and haori and walked to the house. Grandpa nodded in understanding, but remained in the yard to look at the fountain as if he could will it into telling him where it belonged.

As he walked into the house, Inuyasha mentioned to Mama, "That damn thing is so ugly."

Mama laughed as she followed him into the kitchen. "Really? I don't think I have ever seen it."

"It's bad. Real bad." Inuyasha finished putting his tops back on so his arms were free to take the large picnic Mama had prepared. It was more food than the three of them could ever imagine finishing, so Inuyasha figured he could share with Miroku and Sango's family as well.

Mama mostly likely had intended it to be that way, although she never said.

Double checking that she had packed everything before handing the insulated bag over to Inuyasha, Mama reminded him to bring Koji over and that she had packed the sling she had used for Souta in the picnic for them. Inuyasha nodded in understanding, and gave his thanks to her.

"Try to come back soon. I'm sure Souta will be devastated he missed out on seeing you, so you'll have to bring the whole family over for dinner." She patted his chest lovingly, before reaching up to tweak one ear.

Inuyasha nodded again, eternally grateful to have found this family to join, and promised, "We'll be back soon. Don't you worry about that."

Mama walked with him to the well house in a comfortable silence, seeing him down it with a smile and wave. Inuyasha jumped down the well, the large bag in tow, his eagerness to see Kagome and Koji as bright as the blue light that engulfed him.


	10. Chapter 10

Disclaimer: I do not own _Inuyasha_ , nor am I making any profit from this story. All rights belong to their respective owners.

Inuyasha stopped momentarily at the base of the well, pausing to shift the weight of the insulated bag that contained their picnic, before rocking down onto the balls of his feet and thrusting himself airborne. He gracefully landed just beyond where Miroku had been taking a nap while resting against the well. Apparently, Kaede hadn't needed his help that afternoon.

Miroku cracked one eye open and said, "Time to go back, my friend?"

Inuyasha grunted loudly and lowered a hand to help the monk stand. Using Inuyasha and his staff as leverage to get up, Miroku rose to his full height and stretched a little bit. "And I was just getting used to the quiet out here too," he commented before poking the bag residing on his friend's shoulders in question with the tip of his staff.

Inuyasha only said, "Food," before moving down the path to the village. Miroku quickly followed suit.

Inuyasha kept his ears moving, listening for any signs of a distressed baby, and shushed Miroku when he tried to ask about the trip to the future. Not sure if he should be concerned or pleased that he hadn't heard a single distraught noise the entire way to the village, Inuyasha was quick to make it to Miroku and Sango's home, leaving the other man trailing behind him.

Pushing the reed door covering open slowly, Inuyasha surveyed the room. Sango was feeding her baby boy and the girls were sprawled out on the floor, presumably having at one point been tucked into their tussled futon that were next to them. Kagome was sitting with her feet in her sandals in the genkan, as if ready to go if needed. Koji was nestled tightly to her chest, his hands firm fists in her top and his face buried in her chest.

Kagome looked up at Inuyasha and gave a soft smile as if to tell him that all went well. Koji's ears were turning back and forth, and slowly his head lifted. Kagome tilted her head back to see what the tiny child was thinking about, and as he turned his head away from Kagome's chest, Inuyasha could see his nose working hard.

Plopping down on the same side that Koji had turned his head towards, Inuyasha made himself known to the baby boy. After laying eyes on his father, Koji's face visibly brightened and he released his mother to extend his hands towards his father. Inuyasha picked him up under his arms and brought them face to face to gently rub noses together. Koji cooed in glee and clasped the outside edges of his father's face.

Kagome's voice was low, as to not wake the girls, when she spoke to her husband. "He was fine, a little sad every once in a while, but nothing a quick walk through the village couldn't take his mind off of."

Inuyasha shifted the boy so he could hold him with the arm that wasn't attached to the shoulder holding the bag. Dropping the heavy picnic on the wooden floor beside him, he grunted his acknowledgement. Koji, pleased beyond all understanding, simply situated himself into the crook of his father's arm.

"How was everyone?" Kagome reached to slide the bag over closer, and opened it.

"Mama made a feast for all of us." Inuyasha peered inside to see the sling Mama had packed. Finding it, he pulled it out and placed it on Kagome's lap. "She sent this for us to hold him when we go down the well."

Kagome inspected the tangle of fabric, before nodding her understanding. Miroku slipped through the door covering and nodded at Kagome. He leaned forward to pat Koji's head, which the boy received gratefully, and stepped past them to greet his wife and children.

Sango whispered, "Welcome home," to him in response to his greeting, and removed the baby from her chest so his father could hold him. "Enjoy the quiet?"

"Had a lovely nap, although it would have been nicer to nap with the girls," he grinned at her, eyes bright and shining with radiant love for his family. Sango snorted and adjusted her kimono before looking over at the sleeping twins.

"They just went down. Probably will be another hour or two before they get up." She shifted to greet Inuyasha as well before standing to walk over to her pots and pans.

Kagome motioned for her to come over. "You don't need to cook anything," she told Sango. "Mama packed us plenty of food. Come look."

Sango opened the bag a little further with her index finger and commented on how delicious everything looked. Miroku cast a curious glance over at the front of the house, but didn't approach as he was bouncing his son to keep him happy and relatively quiet.

The adults remained in the hut for the next hours, still and silent as possible as to ensure the twins slept as long as they were able. The two fathers held their respective sons, who, for their part, were pleased by the situation and didn't fuss much beyond asking for a little more attention. Kagome and Sango had laid out the food to start their afternoon meal once the girls woke up, and tried to guess which foods which twin would like.

They didn't address the questions that floated in the air about Inuyasha's trip to the future, nor did they acknowledge the worry they all felt.

Ayame, the older twin, rose first and smiled brightly once she realized her father was home. Crawling to his side and resting her little cheek on his knee, not caring that her brother had leaned far enough down to grab the top of her head. She remained still there until she heard her sister wake up. Suzume, the more vocal and tenacious of the two, hardly acknowledged her father's presence and immediately asked for food.

Sensing a chance of competition, Ayame bolted up right and also requested some food, to the humor of their aunt and uncle and dismay of their mother and father.

"It's important to be patient and wait. Mama will give you food as soon as you wash up and help put your bed away." Miroku was slow and firm in his instructions, knowing well that Suzume might balk at his attempt to give her directions.

When a small wail of protest began to surface, Inuyasha told them, "I'll eat all the food if you don't put your bed away quick."

The adults knew he would never do such a thing, but the threat felt real enough to the twins that they nodded and helped their mother fold up the futons and bedding with no further remark. Inuyasha walked outside with Sango, the girls, and Koji still in his arms to wash up for dinner. Placing Koji down between his legs, he placed both of their hands in the small pail with water to rinse off the day's dirt.

Sango had more of a challenge with trying to get both girls done, and chose to start with Ayame, who let out only a little whine at the coolness of the water, but quickly washed and scampered inside. It was Suzume who put on the theatrics for her mom, crying out the whole time, "No, Mama! Too cold, Mama!" before running inside after her sister, carrying on about the water.

Koji didn't react to the crisp temperature of the water when Inuyasha was cleaning their hands, but once he saw and heard the girls do it, he cried out, "Oh, oh!" and squirmed from Inuyasha's grasp and ran inside after his cousins. Sango couldn't stop the laugh that bubbled from her throat as Inuyasha looked to where his son had run off to.

Sango dumped the used water out onto her garden, and jovially remarked, "It looks like my girls might be teaching Koji a thing or two about being a toddler."

Inuyasha snorted back, "Not about being a toddler, about being a trouble maker," before walking inside.

Koji was waiting for him at the top of the steps, his hands tucked firmly behind him, and Kagome looking at him bemusedly. Inuyasha looked back and forth between his wife and son, attempting to sort out what exactly was going on. Stepping one foot up, Inuyasha pushed his hands away from him towards Koji in a shooing motion and told him, "Go on. Let's eat."

Koji didn't budge and Kagome snickered.

"Food's that way, kid. Got to go that way to get food." He tried motioning towards Koji again, but the child shook his head.

"He wants up," Kagome said to her husband who was one foot in the genkan and one food on the floor still.

Inuyasha looked up at her. "He isn't raising his arms."

Miroku was the one who chimed in next. "Oh, trust us, he wants up."

Giving the man a confused squint, questioning how he would know what Koji wanted better than Koji's father, Inuyasha extended his arms and picked up his child.

His other foot hadn't even had a chance to lift from the genkan to walk towards the food before a set of cold hands made their way to the back of his neck, causing him to cry out in shock. He looked at the boy who had placed the offending icy hands on the warmest part of his body in horror.

Miroku and Kagome howled in laughter.

"Who taught you to do that?" Inuyasha incredulously asked his son. Koji just grinned and kept his hands right on the back of Inuyasha's neck.

Sango, who had been standing directly behind Inuyasha, took in the sight before her before saying, "Oh he learned that from the girls. They always do that to Miroku after washing their hands. I guess you're right," she walked past him and towards the middle of the room. "They are teaching him to be a trouble maker."

Inuyasha watched the woman walk past him, mouth agape and not sure how exactly to respond to her nonchalant attitude regarding a new behavior from his son. Only when Koji finally removed his hands, grunted loudly, and pointed at the food, did Inuyasha move and settle down for the picnic.

The girls were eating whatever they could, and it was unclear if they were even tasting the food or just having an eating competition. Ayame was a fan of the potato salad, eating an alarming amount of it, and Suzume following suit in eating more octopus shaped hotdogs than most likely healthy.

Miroku and Sango did their best to slow down the girls, remind them to not eat too much, and hide the most coveted foods out of sight, but there was little to be done with toddlers on a mission. Koji ate with nearly the same amount of enthusiasm, although Kagome and Inuyasha were firmer in monitoring and maintaining his portion sizes of each item.

There was little room during the meal for any conversation at all, as the adult's attention was primarily on their rambunctious children.

After tucking away any left overs for eating once the girls were preoccupied with playing with their stick dolls made by their father and Koji was asleep, having avoided his nap earlier, Inuyasha finally began to regale the story of his time in the modern era. He was brief, as tended to be his nature, and often had to be prompted for more information.

Sango was the most curious about the details, prompting Inuyasha. "So, she thinks that if you tie Koji up on yours or Kagome's back, and jump down the well it will all be okay?"

Kagome spoke before Inuyasha, "Well, I don't think it's a good idea to just jump straight down and hope for the best. When Inuyasha first fell down, I climbed down to the bottom and it took a few moments for me to pass through. Maybe that's what Mama meant?"

"But what if he doesn't go through? Would he just be left on the bottom of the well?" Sango spoke while she reached over to end a squabble between her girls. Apparently one doll was more desired than the other.

Miroku also extended a hand towards his daughters to end the quarrel, moving carefully to not disturb his son in his lap. "I seem to recall Shippo telling me about a time when he went down the well and remained at the bottom, even as you passed through Kagome."

"Souta was sitting there at the bottom for me when that noh mask was attacking you." Inuyasha shifted Koji who was slightly snoring. "Besides, Sango or Miroku will be there to grab him if anything goes wrong and he is left at the bottom of the well. It takes seconds to pass through and we won't be gone that long."

Kagome nodded, understanding Inuyasha's attempt to calm her nerves. She looked at Sango. Both women were clearly nervous about the idea of Koji potentially not passing through the well. Sango shrugged her shoulders, knowing there was little else to do.

"It's your home, Kagome, and your family. Koji deserves the chance to get to know them." Sango reasoned with her friend. "We'll never know unless we try. He'll be safe, and I'm sure he'll pass through with no issues meaning we're fussing for nothing."

Kagome looked at the babe snoring away, draped in his father's arms. She couldn't quell the fear in her heart that if he didn't get through that he would think they abandoned him. What damage would that do to him.

The room filled with silence as Kagome mulled over what to do. The boy had only been with them for about two weeks, and he was so small and so young. He had instantly trusted them, but that was most likely due to the fact that they had rescued him from those terrible humans. He wasn't afraid of meeting new people so long as his parents were there. What would happen if he didn't get through and was left alone with Miroku? How would he react?

Sensing his wife becoming more anxiously lost in her thoughts, Inuyasha touched her hands that were clenched on top of her knees. "We don't have to do it today, or tomorrow. It can wait Kagome."

Kagome nodded, feeling tears well up in her eyes, but not wanting to cry incase Koji woke up from the smell of her tears.

"We don't know when his human night is either, Kagome." Miroku reasoned, "Maybe we should wait until after his human night? Then we don't risk him being away from home when that happens."

Sango nodded, touching Kagome's shoulder lightly. "He's only been with us for a little while. We needn't rush things. Until we are ready, Inuyasha or you can go by yourself through the well for a few hours. We'll take things slow and as they come."

Kagome nodded, before giving her friend a watery smile and shifted her hands to hold Inuyasha's larger hand. Letting out a quiet laugh, Kagome whispered, "I didn't know I could love someone this much. I just want to do the right thing."

Sango reached her arm across Kagome's shoulders to pull her into a sideways hug, laughing out, "Oh, Kagome, welcome to parenthood."

Inuyasha squeezed her hands as Miroku looked at him and nodded. "Welcome to parenthood indeed," he smiled at Inuyasha, who smiled slightly back.


	11. Chapter 11

Departing a few hours later, Kagome and Inuyasha walked lackadaisically up towards their home in the woods. Inuyasha had attempted to put Koji in Souta's old baby wrap before they left Sango and Miroku's, but the boy was having none of that. He had fussed and carried on, working his hardest to make sure the strange fabric couldn't go anywhere near him.

Sango had joked that he didn't want to be contained, but they all silently knew that it was most likely because it was unfamiliar and smelt like different people.

They also knew better than to try to force the issue on the boy. Kagome planned to wash it with all of their clothing so that it would start to smell more acceptable to her son, and hoped that one day he would be okay with being wrapped up in it. It certainly would help her for when she had to go gather herbs. Inuyasha had stuffed the cloth into his haori to hopefully speed the process along.

Koji, who was tucked against his father's side, halfway holding on, but also halfway ignoring all caution and tossing himself around to get a better view, pointed and squealed in glee when he saw their home just in front of him.

"Yeah, are you glad to be home?" Inuyasha tightened his grip on the boy who was now squirming as hard as he could to get home.

Inuyasha made it to the front door with the little guy in his grip, before finally relinquishing him to the ground when he wobbly wandered towards the door. Once he made it to the entrance of the home, he stopped and stood still, with Inuyasha standing himself behind the boy. Kagome had stopped to inspect the vegetables in her garden, considering what to cook for dinner, but was promptly called inside by Koji who was yelling at her and waving.

Kagome giggled at the sight of the child holding the door reed open as best as he could and summoning her inside with a failing limb, essentially blocking his father from gaining entrance to the home. Inuyasha stood with upmost patience behind Koji, something Kagome would never had dreamed him capable of years ago.

"Oh," she said to him as she approached, "am I required inside, you little homebody?" She bent down to pick Koji up, but he twisted away and ran inside.

Now that the boy wasn't in the door frame, Inuyasha stepped inside and told Kagome, "I think he's playing a game."

"Hm," she replied, following him inside, "I think you may be right!" Koji had wedged himself between the pots and pans, small enough to take up what little room there was on the floor. "I think we may be playing a little hide and seek!"

Koji laughed, not fully understanding the game's rules, as Kagome walked around the hut asking, "Oh Koji! Where are you?" After a few moments, she crouched in front of him and said, "I found you!"

Koji scrambled out from behind the cookery, promptly crawling up the short shelf that held their bedding above the ground, and laughing in absolute delight while laying face down on the folded bedding.

"What is he doing?" Inuyasha couldn't keep the amusement out of his voice as he watched his boy 'hide'.

Kagome stood up and turned to look at her husband. "The girls taught him hide and seek today, although he only understands the hide part."

Inuyasha chuckled briefly before joining Kagome in 'seeking' Koji out.

Repetitiveness is not something that ever seemed to bother Koji, as he only had a few viable 'hiding' spots in the room. Kagome and Inuyasha took turns cooking dinner, going outside to pick a vegetable or two, and playing with him, not that he minded which parent he had the attention of. His gleeful laughter filled the home until it was time for dinner.

Kagome had finished preparing and setting aside each person's bowls of food, leaving the fish and vegetables in the center to pull out as wanted. Noticing that dinner was ready, Inuyasha tried to pick Koji up from his hiding spot in the corner of the home.

Koji squirmed in his father's grasp, not thrilled the game was suddenly over. He didn't understand why he was being picked up. He turned big tearful eyes up to his father, all the while pushing hard to try to get away. He whined and carried on, but Inuyasha was not budging.

"Time for dinner. You need to eat so we can wash up and get ready for bed." Inuyasha walked towards the door. Kagome saw Koji's disappointed face, and the hurt on Inuyasha's own, hidden by a hard-set frown as Inuyasha took the boy to rinse off his hands in the bucket by the door.

Kagome, quickly wanting sooth their upset, told Inuyasha, "Play two more rounds with him."

Inuyasha paused, still holding the whimpering Koji, standing by the door. He looked over his shoulder at her and gave her a hard stare. "It's dinner time." His hard denial of her request was apparent in his voice and comment.

Kagome remained calm and repeated herself, but added some clarification, "Play two more rounds with him. Tell him that you are going to play two more times, and then it's dinner time. He'll be happier and will eat better if we do that instead of forcing the game to end."

Inuyasha continued to look at her, but the harshness in his gaze was gone. He realized Kagome wasn't trying to question his authority in this situation, but trying to ease the tension between the pitifully crying boy and his father.

Thinking over her words, he looked down at the boy in his arms, whose ears were drooped and eyes were downcast. Realizing that Kagome was probably right, Inuyasha put Koji back onto his feet. Confused, he looked up at his father.

Lowering to his haunches, Inuyasha looked Koji in the eye, with his hands on the boy's shoulders, and said, "Two more hides." He lifted two fingers at Koji. "Two more hides. Then dinner." His hand shifted to point at the food Kagome had laid out.

Koji immediately brightened and repeated the hand motion to his father with a short, "Uhn."

Inuyasha repeated for good measure, "Two more hides," two fingers in the air, "then dinner," pointing at the food. Koji's eyes were bright with joy and he nodded, his ears lifting to a pointed position. Inuyasha nodded back before saying, "Okay, go!" to which Koji raced off to find a good spot to hide.

Inuyasha was slow to rise, and slow in walking around the hut calling for Koji. Kagome thought that this particular round of hide and seek lasted a tad bit longer than the previous rounds, but chalked it up to Inuyasha needing the game as much as Koji.

Once Inuyasha had 'found' Koji, he drew the toddler's attention to him and said, holding up his index finger, "One more time." Koji repeated his father's finger movement and nodded. Inuyasha took this as a sign he understood, and told Koji to hide.

Koji looked around the room, trying to decide where was the best place to hide for his final turn. He settled his eyes on Kagome, and ran towards her as fast as he could. Kagome, unsure of which direction he was going to go, held out her arms to prevent him from running into the fire or food in front of her. He ducked under her arms and crouched behind her, hidden by her form.

Inuyasha had watched Koji run to his mother, tensing to be ready to lurch if he would have run into the food or fire, but, once he saw what Koji's goal was, relaxed. He started to pace around the room, looking for Koji and calling his name. Kagome could feel Koji's body shake with held in laughter behind her, and struggled to not laugh herself.

Inuyasha might have taken a long time to 'locate' the boy, but Kagome didn't notice, nor care. So what if dinner got a little cold? A happy baby was much more important than a piping hot dinner.

When Inuyasha went to walk next to Kagome, Koji stood up to jump at his father, apparently thinking his spot was far too good for his father to find him. Inuyasha cried out in feigned surprise, "Found you!" and scooped the boy up to rub noses. Koji's small hands plastered themselves against his father's face in joy.

"It's time for dinner now, okay?" Inuyasha pulled the boy back enough to look into Koji's eyes, hoping the boy understood the game was over.

Koji nodded, and kicked his feet to indicated he wanted down. As soon as his feet touched the floor, Kagome's lap was secured and he looked expectantly at the food.

"One meal without washing won't kill us, right?" Inuyasha looked down at Kagome who was shifting to pass the bowls of food around, hoping she wouldn't want Koji to wash up before eating.

Kagome patted the floor next to her and said, "No, one meal won't."

Inuyasha sat down next to his wife as well, happy that there was no more fuss over the ending of the game and the last meal of the day was beginning. Kagome handed Inuyasha's his bowl of rice and soup, before situating herself to feed the toddler in her lap.

Koji was appeased and transitioned easily into meal time this time, and his parents made a note to communicate the ending of play time more readily in the future. They had a steep learning curve to overcome, going from being childless to having a toddler.

Koji was just as enthusiastic with this meal time as he was with every other meal, and Inuyasha could feel himself ease at the sight of Koji shoveling food into his mouth with his hands as Kagome tried to get him to slow down.

"Still eats like he's starving," Kagome lightly tusked as Koji tried to shove another fistful of rice into his mouth.

Inuyasha paused before replying to her unsaid question, "Who knows how long he actually was. Could be years before he feels like he's not."

Kagome paused for half a second, realizing, not for the first time, just what a miracle the child in her lap was. How lucky they were to have been in that village that day, and how lucky they were now to have him in their lives.

Her pause was long enough for Koji to grab and inhale the small piece of fish that was being held by her chopsticks. Panicking for a moment that he would choke due to how much food was in his mouth, Kagome's hands went to grab Koji.

Koji just swallowed loudly a few times before grunting loudly and reaching for the vegetables and fish just outside of his reach.

Inuyasha snorted a little before using a spoon to get some soup and offering it to his son. Koji took the liquid, slurping loudly and letting out a loud, contented sigh, before returning to point harshly at the food just outside of his reach again.

Kagome, having regained her composure, picked up a small piece of squash to off to Koji, who readily took it.

Kagome wanted to ask Inuyasha if he still felt like he was starving sometimes, or if the nightmare of his childhood still haunted him, but she held her tongue. Sometimes, Inuyasha would open up and let her see a little bit of that scared and alone boy he was, but it was rare. She wondered, again, if Inuyasha saw himself in the little red headed boy on her lap.

Inuyasha never offered up any further opinion about the matter, just ate his food quickly, so he could take over feeding the toddler for Kagome. Koji was extremely reluctant to leave his mother's lap, so Inuyasha had to lean over her and try to feed him from where he was situated.

The meal ended, but Koji's desire to be held by his mother had not. Kagome had tried to put him by his beloved rocks, but he promptly got up and ran to her if she did.

"I'll clean up," Inuyasha put his hand on his wife's back as she tried to pick up the dishes. "He wants you to pay attention to him right now."

Koji had a fistful of her hamaka and was tugging with all his might. Inuyasha, always the one to quip, remarked, "I think if you ignore him any longer, he might depants you."

"You should know from experience I'm difficult to depant, Inuyasha," Kagome laughed out as she lifted herself to look her husband in the eye. "I'm not about to get depants by my son."

Inuyasha's eyebrow raised into his bangs. "Is that a challenge, Kagome? Because, if so, I will teach your son how to depants you."

Kagome turned her upper body to pick up Koji and tucked him against her side. "You wouldn't dare, mister," she faked a threatening voice at Inuyasha.

"Oh, but I think I would, missy." Inuyasha's own voice was full of a mirth.

Kagome couldn't stop the smile the burst across her face at his response. It didn't matter how long they hand known each other or how long they had been married, knowing that Inuyasha felt comfortable enough with her to joke always made her heart take flight.

She rose to her tip toes to plant a kiss on him, just so over taken with love for the man in front of her that she couldn't resist.

But her lips never made contact because Koji saw, and seized, a prime opportunity to gain affection for himself. He had reared his head forward and planted himself firmly between his parents' faces, so he got a kiss on both cheeks.

Inuyasha's nose made slightly heavier contact than Kagome's as he was the one who was leaning downwards, causing him to make a slight yelp.

Kagome, instantly realizing what Koji had done, stumbled down from her tip toes as she laughed wholeheartedly.

Inuyasha touched the end of his nose for any damage, before also laughing. Koji, pleased his parents were pleased, was the final chorus of laughter to fill the home.

Inuyasha rubbed the top of Koji's head, saying, "Am I not allowed to kiss your mom anymore, kiddo? I used to do that all the time, you know."

Koji lifted a hand to grab the one on top of his head, smiling brightly at the man above him.

Kagome lifted the hand that wasn't attached to the arm holding Koji to her and covered her mouth. "Goodness," she said, a little muffled from the appendage in front of her lips. "He's a little demanding, isn't he?"

Inuyasha let out a soft laugh in return. "Ah, maybe. But I think he's allowed to be."

"Couldn't agree more," Kagome spoke as she dropped her hand to hold Koji tighter. "I couldn't agree more."


	12. Chapter 12

Disclaimer: I do not own _Inuyasha_ , nor am I making any profit from this story. All rights belong to their respective owners.

The next morning, Koji was an unusually quiet baby. He ate much less than normal, and there was a noticeable absence of his usual gusto. He ate what was presented to him, but chewed slowly and looked forlorn the whole time. His parents were understandably upset about his behavior and tried to cheer him up.

Inuyasha bounced him on his knee, while Kagome tried to play peek-a-boo, but Koji just sat listless and kept a hand by his mouth.

"Do you think he's caught something? Maybe spending the day with the girls wore him out too much." Kagome stroked the hair away from the top of his forehead and placed her hand. "I don't think he has a fever."

Inuyasha also checked for excess warmth on the toddler, but agreed with his wife that there didn't appear to be a fever. He pulled Koji close to him, coddling the boy while nuzzling the top of his head. "What's wrong, kiddo?" he asked, although he knew there would be no reply.

Normally when Kagome went to spend the day with Kaede, she brought Koji with her so Inuyasha could help out the village men with odd tasks here and there. Kagome went to pull out the baby sling to see if Koji would be willing to go into it, but Inuyasha was firm in wanting to hold Koji for the day.

"The men can go a day without me. It's not that big of a deal," he told Kagome. "I'll just spend the day with you and Kaede." Although he didn't vocalize it, Kagome knew he also secretly hoped that Kaede would know what ailed Koji.

Inuyasha washed Koji for the day and dressed him quietly while Kagome cleaned up from breakfast. Koji seemed more interested in clambering up onto his father than sticking his limbs into his clothes, and released quiet but heart-breaking whines every time Inuyasha put him on the ground.

"You got to get dressed, Koji, then I can hold you." Inuyasha tried to reason with the child, wishing he could just make the boy understand he wasn't going to leave him on the ground for long, but Koji wrestled his arms out of the sleeves and grabbed the front of Inuyasha's suikan.

Kagome, as soon as the dishes were put away, helped her husband dress their child who was slightly more cooperative with both parents present. But he still quivered and whimpered through the process, until Inuyasha picked him up again. He instantly curled tightly into his father's chest, wrapping his arms around Inuyasha's neck. He pushed his nose as close as was comfortable into Inuyasha's shoulder, letting out a soft sigh of relief.

Kagome stepped close to rub Koji's back and rest her head next to his. All the while, Inuyasha tightened his hold on Koji, furiously thinking about what might be bothering his son.

The stepped out into the crisp morning air, and walked down towards the village. Koji didn't budge from his spot pressed tight against his father, causing his parents to become further concerned. He had never missed an opportunity to look around and see the world.

Inuyasha kept his voice low when he spoke to Kagome. "What is going on? He's not even trying to look for the animals in the trees. He always does that."

Kagome shrugged, also uncertain. "I don't know, Inuyasha. Maybe we should tell Kaede we're going to spend the day at home?"

Inuyasha patted Koji lightly, before humming lightly. "Maybe we should."

Kaede didn't seem surprised at the sight of the whole family walking towards her home, but instead welcomed them inside warmly. She offered to make some miso soup for them, but Kagome politely declined.

"I think we should spend the day at home, Kaede. Koji's not feeling too well today." Kagome spoke quietly, standing in the doorway with her husband and child. She gave a sad look at the boy who had not budged from his spot firmly against Inuyasha.

Kaede looked them over with her one eye. She was standing by her firepit, which still had a slight fire roaring softly in it. She wanted to hold the new parents close and tell them they were doing their best and it was all anyone could ask for, but she knew that neither of them could see that at the moment.

Their minds were too clouded with fear for their sick child.

Kaede hobbled over to where they were standing and tried to get a look at the toddler. His face was smushed firmly against his father's shoulder, his ears low and drooping against his fine gold-red hair. Inuyasha had turned to let her get closer to Koji without having to step down off the floor.

"Does he have a fever?" Kade took a withering hand and brushed it gently against the miniscule amount of forehead that was accessible. She didn't feel any extra warmth there.

Inuyasha shook his head as Kagome spoke. "Not from what we can tell. He was okay last night and playing with Inuyasha most of the evening." Kagome ran a hand down Koji's hair in a soothing manner. "But he did spend the day with the girls. Do you think he's just extra tired today?"

Kaede listen intently. Koji didn't appear to have any sort of reaction to his surroundings, and didn't even move an inch when Kagome had touched him. Kaede sighed softly, before looking at Kagome, whose face was so strung with worry that it broke the older woman's heart. "Perhaps. He could be worn out from a day with the twins, but he could also be coming down with something."

Kaede walked away from the couple standing in her door way and towards where she kept her dried herbs. She kneeled down, her knees making a loud protest at the action, and quietly sifted through the different items in her collection, before settling on a small dried bundle that was tucked at the bottom. She rose gingerly and walked back towards Kagome and Inuyasha.

"Go home for today and just keep an eye on him. If he does come down with a fever, you can give him a tea made from these herbs." She placed the bundle in Kagome's open hand. "But be warned, most children do not like the taste of it."

Inuyasha snorted and remarked, "I can see why. It smells awful even from over here."

Kagome didn't react to Inuyasha's remark, but did thank Kaede for her help and advice. Kaede nodded patiently, but tacked on, "He could also be suffering from a bad memory. There are children who do not recover well from witnessing atrocities. We don't know what he went through in that village." Kade reached upwards to pat the toddler's back softly. "He could just need a day or two to feel safe again."

Kagome watched Kaede's wrinkled and spotted hand gently pat Koji's back, the harsh reality of Koji suffering from his own memories terrifying her. Why hadn't she thought of that herself?

Kagome tried to not beat herself up over it, and chose instead to thank Kaede again with a warm hug. It was as if Kaede could tell Kagome was struggling herself, because the older woman squeezed the young woman tight and whispered, "You're a good mother, Kagome. You're the mother he needs."

Kagome wiped away a tear from falling and pulled back from the embrace. She gave the miko in front of her a watery smile, before looking at Inuyasha.

His face was twisted into a look of confusion and concern at the scent of his wife's tears. Kagome just smiled at him and whispered, "Let's go home."

He wanted to question what had transpired between the two women, but Kagome held back the reed door for him and indicated he should go through. He nodded once in as a thank you and goodbye to Kaede before stepping through.

Kagome was oddly quiet walking back through the forest to their home, but Inuyasha didn't know how to ask what was bothering her. He hoped she would share soon.

Koji's ears twitched slightly when he heard his favorite kind of bird sing in the tree tops, and he shifted his head to rest his cheek against Inuyasha's shoulder. Beyond that, he made no further motion or effort to look around. Inuyasha grateful for even a small gesture of interest from the boy.

Reaching their home, Kagome stopped to look at the garden. "Maybe I'll spend the day out here and weed," Kagome told Inuyasha in a soft voice. "The garden does need some tending to."

Inuyasha walked over and looked at the slightly overgrown garden. It wasn't as if the vegetables and fruits were going to be choked out anytime soon by the weeds, but Inuyasha agreed. "I could sit over here with Koji while you do it. Some fresh air might make him feel better."

Kagome smiled and gave Inuyasha a small kiss on the cheek in response. She squatted down to inspect her winter squashes and look for any undesirable plants. Inuyasha walked a little over a meter away from the garden and sat legs crossed.

Kagome worked on pulling weeds and replanting things as needed for a few hours before daring to look over at Inuyasha.

Koji had relaxed enough to slide down from Inuyasha's shoulder to his lap and was turned out enough that he could watch the forest's comings and goings. Inuyasha was trying to point out different animals or plants to the toddler, but Koji just stared mindlessly beyond him. Kagome felt her throat tighten as she wondered what he was going through.

What memories and fears plagued him so?

Inuyasha sensed Kagome's gaze and looked up at her. As they made eye contact, Kagome saw the same fears reflected in his eyes and remembered that at least they were in this together.

They looked at each other for a while, unspoken fears and anguish tearing at their hearts. Kagome was the first one to break the silence, daring to ask a question she had never dreamed of vocalizing before. "Do you still have nightmares from the memories, Inuyasha?"

While she wasn't very clear in what memories she was referring to, Inuyasha knew instantly. He tore his eyes away from her gaze and looked down at the top of Koji's head. Her question, while valid and kind in its intent, brought back memories of the screams and shouts he received as a child. He could feel the prickling of fear consuming his mind, and he recalled how his body ached and screamed for relief as he ran for his life. Both men and demons hunted him and he had no protection.

He could feel the pains of hunger seizing his abdomen, and bitter burn of cold stabbing his ears, fingers, and toes.

He could remember the feeling of curling into a ball, hoping to stay warm and hidden through his human nights, wanting nothing more than to return to his mother's embrace.

He tried to look at the little droopy ears before him and not think of those memories, but he became lost and scared all at once.

Inuyasha was only jerked to reality when he felt Kagome kneel before him and embrace him.

"Tell me how to help, Inuyasha," she whispered, bringing the sides of their faces together and rubbing their cheeks in a gentle motion. "Please, tell me how to help."

"I don't know." He whispered back, closing his eyes and just feeling Kagome's warmth. "That's the problem Kagome, I don't know how to help either."

Kagome pulled back but Inuyasha's eyes remained closed as he pulled one of her hands from his shoulder to hold it in his.

He continued, "I don't know how to help myself or even how to help him. What kind of father am I if I can't help my own child?" His voice cracked at the end and squeezed his eyes shut, trying to fight back tears.

Kagome swallowed harshly herself and squeezed his hand hard before responding. "You're the best father Koji could have asked for Inuyasha. That's what you are." She leaned forward and kissed his forehead. "You are the man who will help him grow and help him know he's safe."

Koji, sensing his parents' distress on top of his own, looked up at the two of them and let out a small wail. His eyes overflowed with tears and little rivers poured down his face. He raised his small fists to press them into his eyes as he gasped for air.

Snapped immediately out of their own sorrow at Koji's cry, Inuyasha and Kagome turned their full attention onto the toddler in Inuyasha's lap.

Kagome picked him up his arm pits and brought him close to her chest, cradling his head in her hand and patting his bottom with the other one. While she shushed at him, she didn't intend for him to be quiet, just for him to know she was there for him.

Inuyasha was slower in his reaction, shocked at first at the sound of the pitiful wail of distress that came from Koji. But as soon as Koji was pulled from him onto Kagome, his hands also went up to comfort. He grabbed Kagome by the waist and pulled her into his lap. She shifted her legs and torso so she had her back against his chest, and Inuyasha embraced his wife and child.

Inuyasha rocked back and forth gently, trying also to sooth Koji's distress and discomfort, but knowing there was little that could be done.

They had only been taking care of this child for a few short weeks, but he had been so happy before. Inuyasha wondered what had gone so wrong that today Koji would be so upset. Had he failed as a father already?

Little did he know that the same worry clouded Kagome's mind.

They remained until midday in the same position, even well after Koji's cries had died down to a snuffle every once in a while. He hadn't removed his fists from his eyes, and Kagome was partially worried about how hard he was pushing on his eyes.

Inuyasha eventually used a hand to gently pry Koji's face from Kagome's neck and his hands, only to find the toddler had cried himself to sleep.

"Poor thing," Kagome murmured. "He's just really not okay today."

Inuyasha didn't make a comment of his own, but dropped his head to Kagome's shoulder and let out a loud sigh. He was at a total loss for what he could do to soothe his wife or child, and it was eating him up inside.

Kagome shifted lightly to scoot off of Inuyasha's lap, Koji still in her embrace. "We should make lunch, Inuyasha," she said and she got her feet under her. "Hopefully he'll wake up soon and eat something."

Inuyasha's arms dropped heavily to his knees and he stared right in front of him. Kagome turned around to look at her husband, and saw exhaustion weighing heavily on his face. She could tell immediately that he was being eaten up by the day's events, and thought quickly of a way to hopefully ease the boy and father.

"Why don't you take a nap with Koji while I prepare lunch?" Inuyasha looked up at her comment, mild confusion drawing across his face. "You both could use a little rest."

Inuyasha rose slowly to stand himself, and stepped forward to take the sleeping boy from his mother's arms. Koji made no indication of waking up when he was transferred from one parent to the other, and Inuyasha walked inside the hut. He halfway thought about pulling out the futon to sleep on, but decided that he like the floor just as well, so he squatted down and rolled back to lay down.

Once he had settled Koji higher onto his chest, Inuyasha closed his eyes and allowed himself to take his wife's advice and rest for a while.

Kagome remained outside for a few moments longer, gathering a few vegetables and late summer squashes to cut up for lunch. She pushed aside the door covering to see Inuyasha laying in the middle of the floor with Koji sleeping on his chest face down. She looked over at the bucket of water by the door, and seeing that they needed more for some miso soup for lunch, grabbed the pail and walked quietly out.

When she returned, the two were still in their resting places, so Kagome figure she could put off lunch for a little while longer and get some laundry done. She grabbed Souta's baby sling and a few other items to wash in the river.

When she was hanging washed items in the midday sun to dry, she felt the rumbles of hunger in her own stomach, and decided she had put of lunch for long enough.

She went inside to put together a small meal of soup, fresh vegetables, rice, and dried fish for her little family, who was woken up by the smell of the food.

Inuyasha opened one eye and shifted his head just enough so that he could see what Kagome was doing, but was startled fully away by Koji who pushed up from his laying position to roll of his father and begin to cry again.

Inuyasha followed his son to the floor, rolling onto his side, and tried to soothe his tears, but Koji just plastered his hands against his face and kept them buried. Kagome rushed over to help her husband with their distressed toddler, but he wouldn't remove his hands no matter how hard his parents tried to get him to. He kept a steady but soft wail going for a while.

The soup and rice went cold while they tried to comfort Koji.

By the time he had calmed down enough to eat, Inuyasha felt his nerves completely frayed. Kagome placed Koji on her lap and tried to get him to eat, but he would only take what his mother forced into his mouth.

Kagome wanted to cry and plead with Koji to please eat something, anything, but she knew it would do no good. Koji was back to being unresponsive.

Inuyasha put his food down to try to help Kagome get Koji to eat something, but it was no use. The toddler was not receptive to either parent.

Eventually, the whole family gave up on lunch and accepted that no one had an appetite.

Kagome pulled Koji close and rubbed his back. She looked over at Inuyasha and asked, "Will you clean up from lunch please? I just want to hold him right now."

Inuyasha nodded his understanding, and moved to set aside any food that could be left until dinner, and wash up the dishes that were dirty.

Kagome tucked her head against her chest and just watched Koji's small ears sit listlessly against the top of his head. He stared blankly in front of him, as if not being able to feel anything for the moment. Kagome continued to rub his back and try to soothe him in small ways, but she knew, just knew, there was nothing she could do to offer him any sort of comfort.

They remained in the hut until that evening, Kagome sitting quietly with her toddler held close to her as her husband sat next to her.

If either of the parents could have vocalized their thoughts, they would have discovered that they were both fighting the same internal battle.

Eventually, the setting sun creeped down into the crevices of their home, lightly illuminating the area where they were sitting and creating streaks of deep golden lights across their faces. As the sun went down, Koji focused his eyes on the tendrils of sunlight that drifted into in vision.

Kagome whispered to Koji a small greeting, happy to see that he was appearing to come back around, but was immediately taken aback when he violently reached up and grabbed his ears until his knuckles were white.

"Koji, no!" Kagome cried out and tried to wedge a finger between his grasp and his delicate ears, but found she couldn't. "Inuyasha!" she turned and cried to her husband.

Inuyasha had reacted as soon as Koji had moved, lurching forward to also try to pull his fists off of his ears. The scent of blood stung his nose and he found himself also shouting, "Koji, no!"

Koji started to scream, his voice quivering with the force behind it and his eyes squeezing shut and tears streaming down his face. Inuyasha was able to pry Koji's claws out of his own ears, moving to sit directly in front of Koji and hold the tiny hands in his own. "Koji, stop." Inuyasha pleaded, mimicking the same sentiments from his wife to their child. "Koji, please stop. You're hurting yourself."

Kagome tried to rock the now ridged and stiff toddler as much as she could while her husband held his struggling arms in his grasp. "Koji baby, please don't hurt yourself," she said with as much control as she could, but never had she felt this helpless.

The longer his father held his arms, the louder Koji cried out and thrashed in his mother's lap. Inuyasha's ears were pinned lower than Kagome could recall ever seeing them, but still he held on. With the way her ears were beginning to ring, she knew Inuyasha was going to have a massive headache from this episode, but was grateful he was the one holding on to Koji. She wasn't sure she had the strength to keep him from hurting himself considering how hard Inuyasha was working to keep his arms down.

The sun danced across the sky and as the golden light became less vibrant in the hut, the wailing from within took over. Kagome realized that Koji's golden brown hair was becoming less red and more muted, as well as his ears steadily becoming smaller.

Koji let out one final gasping scream before falling silent and becoming ridged. He opened his eyes as wide as they would go and stared straight ahead, but not seeing his father's comforting presence.

"It's his human night," Inuyasha whispered to no one in particular, watching his son with his own wide eyes. "He's been losing his senses all day. That's what's been wrong."

Kagome felt tears begin to roll down her face, although whether from relief of finally knowing what was ailing her child or the painful realization that his human night caused his so much anguish, she couldn't tell. As Koji's claws disappeared and his ears became human finger nails, Kagome stroked the now black hair and tried to remind Koji that his parents were still there.

But he was beyond comfort.

As soon as the transformation was complete, Koji started to shake violently and fat tears poured from his still wide eyes. He started to gasp for air, and his heaving chest told Kagome he was panicking.

Inuyasha released Koji's arms only to strip off his top layers, before taking Koji from Kagome and bringing him to his bare chest. The skin contact on his face appeared to snap Koji out of his panicked state, and he latched onto Inuyasha fiercely. He continued to cry silently while his father rocked him back and forth, trying to soothe his fears.

Kagome crawled forward and embraced her husband, tucking Koji between their chests. She cried into Inuyasha's shoulder, the events of the day finally wearing down her mind. Koji continued to gasp and cling to his father, although the screams of before were gone the pain somehow felt worse.

Kagome felt Inuyasha drop his head onto her shoulder, and not moments later felt his tears dampen the cloth residing there enough for the heat of them to touch her skin.

Kagome squeezed Inuyasha tighter, trying to convey her desire to help him heal too. She knew in her heart that he was reliving his childhood while trying to help Koji. She knew he didn't know how to comfort his child because he doesn't know how to appease his own fears.

She also knew she was at a complete loss as to how to help either of them. So she just held them close and rode the storm alongside them.

Together, they all cried and comforted each other, well into the night.


	13. Chapter 13

Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha, nor am I making profit from this story. All rights belong to their respective owners.

Kagome pulled herself away from Inuyasha and Koji when she felt her legs give their final and absolute protest over remain sedentary for an extended period of time. She wobbled away, her knees threatening to buckle under her, towards their futon. She did some basic stretching to force blood flow back into her limbs, and set out the futon for them to sleep on.

Inuyasha had lifted his head up to watch her set up their bedding, his face still wet from his own tears. Kagome could tell, now that she was separated from the both of them, that Koji was still wide awake, his eyes focused on something beyond the space of time.

"Let's lie down for now, Inuyasha." Kagome extended her hand to him, beckoning him to join her on the futon.

It was unspoken that none of them would be getting any sleep that night.

Inuyasha rose slowly, his own legs shaky and tight from not moving for several hours. He walked gingerly across the room and turned so he could roll back onto the futon with Koji still pressed against his chest.

Kagome took a brief moment to brush her hair and tie it back before laying down next to Inuyasha. She spooned into his side, against his arm, and placed a hand on Koji's back. "Mama's here," she whispered to him. "Mama will always be right here."

Koji locked eyes with her, staring at her intensely. Kagome knew he wasn't quite able to understand language and would have no idea what she was trying to say to him, but she hoped beyond hope that he could at least tell she was trying to comfort him. As she patted his back gently, Koji lifted one hand from Inuyasha's chest and dropped it on top of Kagome's face as if to feel her presence there. She let him run his hand all over her face, closing her eyes as his little fingers drifted across them, and pursing her lips to kiss his hand when it was available to her.

He didn't smile and laugh like he usually did when she kissed him, but she couldn't fault him. He was suffering greatly at the moment.

Inuyasha had been staring directly up at the ceiling of the hut, trying to qualm the tide of emotions that was overtaking him, but found himself looking at his wife and child. They shared such a tender bond, one that reminded him of his own bond with his mother, and he felt the pangs of sorrow tug at the very edges of his heart.

He watched for a while, waiting until Koji had settled his hand on to Kagome's cheek, before speaking.

"I do, Kagome."

Kagome looked up at him in surprise, but made sure to not move her head too much lest Koji remove his hand.

"What?"

"You asked me earlier if I still have nightmares from the memories." Inuyasha chose to take on Kagome's gaze with one of his own. "I do. I always have."

Kagome felt her throat tighten and her eyes begin to sting again after hearing his confession. She had always suspected he struggled with his fears and insecurities from trauma as a child, but to hear him say it out loud was something else.

Inuyasha continued, "Sometimes, they get so bad that I can't sleep. Or I can't wake up. I don't know which happens."

Kagome listened intently, but dropped her head to nuzzle it closer to him, resting her forehead against his shoulder.

"The first time I remember being able to know they were just nightmares was with you." Inuyasha lifted the arm Kagome was resting against and placed his hand on top of the one that was patting Koji's back.

There was a long silence before Inuyasha spoke again. "I just want him to know they are only dreams. They can't hurt him. He has a home now."

"He will in time, Inuyasha," Kagome's tone was low and cloudy. "We just need to get him through right now, and he will in time."

"How long will he have to hurt, though? Hasn't he suffered enough?"

Kagome pulled the arm that was resting underneath her to wrap it around the arm bicep just under her forehead. "Haven't you suffered enough?"

Inuyasha's chin drew sharply upwards and he stared at the ceiling above him.

Kagome softened her gaze to just below his chin, unsure of how to proceed.

Silence filled the room, heavy in its presence and suffocating in its weight. Kagome knew Inuyasha silently struggled everyday with his own past and insecurities, much like she did.

Neither she nor Inuyasha had ever been very good at talking out their issues, but they would have to learn if they were going to help Koji get better.

Koji's dark black hair and deep eyes bore into Kagome. When she finally lifted her head enough to look back at the babe on her husband's chest, she saw some sort of recognition flicker across his eyes.

"Hi, baby." She removed her hand from under Inuyasha's and stroked his nose. "Hi there."

Koji tensed the fingers pressed against her cheek slightly, indicating that he understood she was talking to him. He continued to look into her eyes, as if finding a small comfort there in the absence of his usual senses.

Kagome moved her index finger gently up and down his nose, watching carefully as his eyes drooped slowly and his breath became deep. Although she doubted she could get him to rest at all, she hoped he could at least push his worries out of his mind for the time being.

She drew her hand away from his nose and moved it to run her fingers through his hair. His eyes came to a complete close at the change in attention, and he let out a deep sigh that shook his whole chest. Kagome finally rested her hand on his shoulders, right above where Inuyasha's hand was on the child's back, and together they found a moment's peace.

The hand that was resting on Inuyasha's bicep started to subconsciously draw little circles on his skin.

Inuyasha knew that Kagome was right in questioning him earlier. She had always been the one to challenge him and force him to confront his fears and insecurities. But her question had left wondering about his fitness for raising Koji.

He was still left so beaten down from his childhood, so used to rejection that he sometimes dreamed of Kagome leaving him, how could he offer this child any hope or relief?

How could he help this child if he couldn't help himself?

He had no way of knowing if Kagome could sense his inner turmoil, but as her hand started to draw pattern-less circles across his skin, he found comfort in that action.

How long, he tried to recall, had it been since he and Kagome had lay like this? Since he and Kagome had just appreciated the silence that comes from there being nothing left to say?

Except there were a million things that still needed to be said.

Inuyasha fought the fear of Kagome leaving him over this small squabble and took several deep breaths to try to return his thoughts to what he was doing now. He could smell Kagome's soft fragrance, as well as the tears from earlier on her. He could smell Koji's human scent, different from his normal one, but still all his own.

He could smell his family there, and while it brought him comfort, it brought him fears as well.

He mustered up the courage to finally speak again, needing comfort himself from his wife, needing to know that he was doing the right thing.

"I can't do this without you."

Kagome paused her hand in doodling on his arm, but when he inhaled sharply, she quickly resumed the motion.

"You don't have to, Inuyasha." Her voice wasn't loud enough to disturb the child resting on his bare chest, but he still heard her.

He lacked the courage to look back down, but she retained her will to speak.

"We're in this together. No matter what, you and me."

"You and me." His voice was muffled from emotions.

She kissed his shoulder. "You and me."

Inuyasha slowly removed his hand from Koji's back and carefully slid his arm out of Kagome's grasp. Once he had his limb above his head, Kagome moved in closer to his side and he draped his arm across her back and bent his elbow so he could put his hand back on Koji.

Confirming to no one but himself, he said one last time, "You and me."

Kagome hummed lightly back, causing Koji to open his eyes and look curiously at her. She started to hum some song that Inuyasha vaguely remembered from babysitting Miroku and Sango's kids, but he couldn't put any name to it.

Koji watched his mother in absolute rapture, enticed by her soft sound, his hand moving from her cheek to rest against her lips. Kagome smiled but kept on humming, only breaking to take deep breaths.

Inuyasha watched the interaction between his wife and child, mesmerized by the exchange that was happening. Kagome's promise was still echoing in his head, and he focused on it hard, willing himself to always remember that no matter what, they were going to be a family. They were in this together.

Koji started to close his eyes again, an action that Inuyasha found deep comfort in. He couldn't imagine as a child ever being able to close his eyes on his human night. The first time he ever found some sort of relief from the fears and anguish that ravished his mind during the new moon was when he had rested his head on Kagome's lap, fighting poison in his body from the spider demon but finding peace in his mind.

Yet, here he was offering the same peace to this small child that Kagome had once offered him. He had managed to give to Koji what had been denied to him nearly his entire youth.

That, he felt, was a victory.

They remained there the entire evening. As Koji's breath evened out, Kagome hoped he had managed to find some sleep in the turmoil of his mind, but was prepared to deal with a lethargic toddler for a couple of days until he was able to sort his sleeping schedule back out.

Kagome watched her son's face with love and a strong will to guard him. While she knew, deep in her heart, that she couldn't protect him from everything the world threw at him, she still felt the paternal instinct to keep him safe.

She tried to take in all the differences in her child before her to distract her from the absolute feeling of love and sorrow wrapped into one overtaking her.

She played with the hair that curled at the base of his neck, wringing it around her index finger. It was finer than his normal reddish hair, and lay evenly with his head, unlike his usual hair that had a tendency to stick out whichever way it pleased.

His nose had fallen slightly, a little more button shaped and rounded at the end, a difference she wondered if Inuyasha also had. His cheekbones seemed even more gauntly than before, as if the effects of starving and abuse wore more prevalently on this form. His hands felt tinier against her face, the fingers that had been dancing across her face boney and thin.

She wondered if the changes were all in her head, because she had never noticed such things in Inuyasha when he transformed.

Or was it that she had never looked for other changes?

She closed her eyes and tried to not feel overwhelmed. She nestled her head further into Inuyasha's bare chest and closed her eyes.

She heard and felt Koji wriggling underneath the hand that was resting on the base of his neck, and opened her eyes when she heard Inuyasha offer soft whispers to the boy.

"Hey now, it's okay. It's almost over, Koji."

But Koji continued to squirm and whimper. He put his hands underneath him and pushed upwards, lifting himself from his father's chest, but let out a whine of discomfort and confusion as soon as his face was pulled away from the warmth radiating from Inuyasha.

Blinking away the sleep, and partially appalled that she had fallen asleep in the first place, Kagome focused hard on the child before her.

"Koji, what's wrong?"

"He's transforming back." Inuyasha, now that his wife was awake, moved himself into a sitting up position. "He doesn't know what's going on though."

Koji, now able to sit up and have his head against his father's chest, lessened his wailing, but still squirmed, tensing and relaxing his muscles repeatedly.

Kagome also moved to sit next to Inuyasha, replacing the hand that had fallen when Inuyasha sat up. She tried to rub his head and tell him it was going to be alright, but he had pressed his forehead hard against Inuyasha's sternum and was moving it back and forth hard.

If it hurt at all, Inuyasha didn't care and didn't move to stop it.

"I know," was all he said to the squirming child. "I know, buddy."

Kagome felt the tears from before start to return. She had never even thought to wonder what it felt like to transform. She had no idea if it was painful, or if was just like blood rushing back into your limb.

How long had she known Inuyasha? In all that time, she had never even bothered to wonder what he was going through.

Inuyasha continue to talk to Koji in a soft tone, lifting him up to be flush against him and nestled into his neck when the pulses of change started to happened again.

Koji did not scream out like he had when he lost his powers, but Kagome couldn't imagine he was okay with what was happening.

After what seemed like an eternity of being useless, Koji's dark black hair shimmered back into his usual red and gold hues, and his ears popped back on top of his head. Inuyasha held him for a little while longer, waiting until everything had settled back down before turning his chest and silently offering to Kagome to hold him.

Kagome jumped at the voiceless gift, and scooped Koji into her embrace. Koji draped his body across hers, his head residing on the opposite shoulder his legs were under. He looked up at her, his eyes returned to their normal deep brown color

"Hi, my little boy." Kagome kissed the end of his nose, now wet and pointed again.

Inuyasha stood up and exited the hut. He made no indication of where he was going, but Kagome didn't worry. He would be back soon.

She sat for a long while, stroking the side of his face and whispering loving nothings. He seemed appeased to her, but it was beyond her knowledge to know what might be turning through his head. Who knew if he remembered last night or if he even knew what was going on.

She tried to not feel guilty for failing to offer him adequate comfort the night before, relying on her logical brain over her heart that they had done all they could do. They had done the best they could do, given the circumstances.

Inuyasha returned, looking slightly refreshed and washed up. He was carrying two fish in his hands, both of which he had cleaned before returning to the hut. Koji twisted his head back at the noise of his father entering the hut, looking at him upside down.

Although Koji didn't smile or laugh, Inuyasha still smiled back at him and said, "Hey there. You hungry?"

Lifting his head up, he pushed his whole body upwards and out of Kagome's lap. She released her gentle hold on him, and he scrambled to his feet.

Turning around, he waddled over to where his father was at the door, accepting one of the fishes from his hands. Inuyasha stepped past him and towards the fire pit. Kagome watched Koji turn the fish over in his hands, as if admiring the colors of the scales in the morning sunlight.

Once he was satisfied that he had thoroughly inspected the fish, he turned on his heels and ran to Kagome. He skidded to a stop in front of her and held the fish out for her to look at.

"Oh, thank you!" Kagome took the fish and inspected it closely. "Yes, I think this will be a nice addition to our breakfast. Why don't you give it to Daddy?"

Kagome handed the fish back to Koji, who spent a little longer taking it in before rushing over to Inuyasha.

Inuyasha had gotten the fire roaring back into life, and was putting the first fish on a spike to roast. He paused when Koji came over, holding out a hand to accept the fish. Koji put the fish tenderly down into Inuyasha's hand, but stuck a finger out to point out a particularly interesting scale pattern.

Inuyasha lifted the fish up and took a close look at where Koji had been pointing. "Ah yes, that is a very interesting set of colors right there." He looked up at the toddler. "Thank you for showing me."

Satisfied with the interaction, Koji rambled his way back to the futon, face-planting onto the mattress. Kagome let out a laugh at the sight of his antics, and stood to cover him with a blanket. She knew that he was probably just tired, but would wake up as soon as breakfast was done.

Inuyasha's ears had turned at the loud thumping sound that had come from behind him, but remained task-focused and roasting the fish.

As soon as Koji was covered up and Kagome had turned his head so it wasn't smashed against the futon, she turned to inspect the leftover food from the day before. Inuyasha had made good calls in what food could be left for another meal, and there was little waste. She set out the bowls for the meal as Inuyasha prepped the fish.

Once she had completed her task for breakfast, she walked over and sat so she could lean against her husband, who was watching the fish with strong intent.

The silence from before had returned, but the heaviness hadn't. Kagome was grateful for the brief reprieve from the anguish of the night before, but she knew they had a lot to discuss and talk about, especially in regards to how they were going to help Koji get through his human nights.

But for now, she relished the quiet and comforting presence of her husband.

Inuyasha moved a hand to rest on her knee, also cherishing the peaceful moments that morning had offered to them. He was grateful for the escape from the inner turmoil of the previous night, and appreciated the small snuffling the sleeping baby behind them let out as he rested.

He realized that they still had a lot of learning to do, and even more restless nights full of heartache and fear ahead of them. Miroku had made fatherhood look so easy, with his ever-patient demeanor and his ever-present smile with his children. Even when the girls whined and fussed at him, he never seemed off-put or concerned. He just listened and chased away their fears as he could.

Inuyasha thought that he should perhaps talk to Miroku about fatherhood and see if he could gleam any insight.

Kagome had fallen asleep rested against him, and he was reminded that this marriage was not any easy battle either.

When they had first met, they fought nearly daily, and as they got to know each other more, the more vicious and hurtful the fights became. He recalled sending her into tears more than he could count, and her cutting him deep in his heart more than he wanted to recall.

They were young back then, unsure of what they were doing or what was going on. But they had managed to grow together and make their marriage work.

He realized they were still young now, working to learn and make their family happy.

There was a time when he couldn't imagine this moment ever coming to him. A wife resting on his shoulder and child sleeping in his bed was a dream he hadn't dared to wish for.

Yet here he was. A father to a child who needed him and a husband to a woman who loved him. He had a family.

He found himself drifting back into an old habit from his childhood, when the pain of losing his mother was the freshest and the daily struggle to survive was the hardest.

He whispered out to his mother, although he knew she wasn't there, "I'm doing my best, mother. I have a family now, too. I wish you were here."

He could have sworn he felt the warmth of her embrace holding him tight and the soft smell of her breeze past his nose.

Kagome sighed loudly, rubbing her cheek in her sleep against his still bare arm. He was brought back to the here and now, but the warmth of his mother's love was renewed in his heart.

He spoke quietly to rouse Kagome when the fish was done cooking, but as soon as they moved from the fire pit, Koji was wide awake and looking around to locate where they would be eating breakfast.

Although he ate with less gusto than normal, he still ate on his own, and he ate a fair bit. Kagome laughed and patted his stomach, asking him where all the food was going if he was so tiny. Koji didn't react, but kept eating food.

Inuyasha tried to portion him, as to avoid an upset stomach from not eating much, but it was useless as Koji started to take food directly from his parents when his bowls were empty.

Kagome laughed as Inuyasha tried to slow down the toddler with distractions of noises and tickling, but Koji had set his mind on eating as much of the food as he could, and that was that.

Once all the dishes were completely cleared of food, Koji leaned back and rubbed his tummy while looking expectantly at Kagome. Understanding his wants, Kagome joined him in rubbing his stomach and gave a few gentle pats before kissing his head and clearing away the dishes.

Having received all he had wanted for the moment, Koji wobbled his way back to the futon and resumed his resting position. This time it was his father who tucked him in to sleep in the sunlight drifting through the hut, although both of his parent's wished him sweet dreams and rest for the day.


	14. Chapter 14

Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha, nor am I making profit from this story. All rights belong to their respective owners.

 _Thump, thump, thump._

Kagome woke to the distinctive sound of destruction in her home. Koji had been steadily on the mend over the last two days, gaining back his confidence and antics.

However, his sleeping schedule was still a disaster and he was now a very nocturnal baby.

Inuyasha's ears flickered back and forth as he listened to the sounds of a busy baby rummaging through the hut. But he made no motion to get up and stop it.

 _Crash, thump, thump._

"Inuyasha."

"Hmn."

"What is he doing?"

"He's in the dishes again."

Kagome sighed and looked over her husband's chest to find her toddler rearranging her dishes. She dropped her head onto his chest and just watched for a while. Inuyasha, for his part, hadn't even opened his eyes or looked over to see what Koji was doing. He could tell from the sound alone.

Koji, deciding he was quite satisfied with his new organizational skills in regards to the dishware, left to find his favorite rock collection and see which rock was stronger than the other. Once he started to scrape the rocks against each other and the wretched sound filled the hut, Inuyasha pulled his ears low into his hair and opened his eyes to look at his son.

"Why does he like to do that?"

Kagome snorted. "Because he's a toddler and that's what toddlers do."

The sound never seemed to bother Koji like it did his father, as he was pleased and placed the small pieces that broke off the weaker rock to the side for later inspection.

Inuyasha, realizing that the family was up for the night now, started to stretch his legs and twist his hips to loosen his back. "We need to make sure they don't get sharp on him."

Kagome kept her head on his chest, still unwilling to admit defeat and accept that they were up for the day now. "We should also make sure he didn't snag any of the flint for the fire."

Inuyasha sighed. "That too."

Koji continued to gleefully break one of the rocks into very small pieces with loud _thuds_ and _cracks_. Inuyasha had stretched enough for the moment and resumed his still position so Kagome could wrap her arms and legs around him, squeezing him tight. Inuyasha continued to watch Koji, whose eyes were bright in excitement from his destruction and was thoroughly entertained for the moment.

He muttered to his wife, "If it keeps him busy…"

Kagome nodded in agreement.

Koji only had so many weak rocks he could attempt to destroy, and after nearly an hour of his singular game, he tucked away his good rocks and ran over to where his parents were still laying, watching him play.

He didn't slow down as he jumped onto Kagome's side and Inuyasha's middle, colliding with them at an alarming speed.

Inuyasha let out a loud "Oof!" and Kagome swore she felt one of her ribs move at the contact. Kagome rolled away onto her other side, clutching her ribs and letting out a loud groan. Koji slid between them, his momentum still far too much for him to slow down.

Hearing his mother's groan, he pulled at her shoulder to get a good look at her. His eyes were inquiring as to why she had made the noise and he pulled at her hair to get a better look at her face.

Kagome looked at him with a grimace, certain she was going to have a bruise from the impact. Koji, still working on understanding facial expressions, mimicked her face back to her. Inuyasha burst into laughter at the sight of Koji crinkling up his face back at Kagome.

"Don't laugh," Kagome wheezed out. "You're encouraging him"

Koji looked gleeful at his father's outburst and tossed the same contorted face at him. Inuyasha returned the look.

Kagome rolled her eyes and accepted her fate.

They laid together for a little while, Inuyasha enjoying making faces at Koji who was fervently trying to mimic them with all this might. The game eventually turned into Inuyasha moving his ears back and forth, twisting them which way and that and Koji desperately trying to keep up.

His frustration at not being able to also move his ears fluidly became apparent as he lurched forward and tried to grab his father's appendages.

"Ah, ah, ah! No, you don't!" Inuyasha scooped the airborne toddler up by his chest and raised him high into the air.

Koji was initially taken aback by his unexpected change of course, but was quickly amused by his arrival into the air. He kicked his feet hard, tossing is weight forward. Inuyasha allowed him to tilt so their foreheads met before lifting Koji up again to be in the air.

Kagome kept her back to the father and son duo, closing her eyes and just listening to the sounds of the game they were playing. Her side was aching, but she was so exhausted it didn't stop her from drifting into a light sleep.

Inuyasha kept Koji fully entertained the rest of the night, and as the early morning rays drifted into the hut, announcing the coming of the day, Kagome forced herself to fully rouse. Wincing as she lifted herself up into a seated position, Kagome looked over she shoulder at the pair next to her. Koji's face didn't give any emotion away, but his eyes were alit with mirth and a small fist was pushed into his mouth. Inuyasha had a broad smile plastered across his face, a new feature of the man since Koji had come into their lives, and was tossing the child a very small distance from his hands into the air.

It was a scene almost too perfect to be true.

Kagome exhaled through her nose, drawing Inuyasha's attention to her.

"Are we getting up?" he asked.

Koji was quick to recognize that he no longer had his father's attention and squirmed to be put down. Inuyasha put him on his chest where the toddler slid down and scrambled over to the other side of the hut.

Kagome moved to her fours before crawling off the futon and standing up gingerly. "Yeah, might as well." She clutched her side as she tried to rise to her full height, but found it painful. She tossed a pained smile at her husband, who was looking at her unamused.

Inuyasha's smile had turned into a light frown. "Stupid humans and their weak bones." There was no malice in his voice.

Once they had tucked away the futon and Koji had returned to reorganize the dishes (again), Inuyasha did take a look at her side to make sure it was just a bruise and not anything more serious from the impact.

Kagome sucked in air through her teeth when he touched a particularly sore sport, trying to prevent tears from falling.

That was the one thing Koji reacted the worst to.

"How bad is it?" Kagome looked upwards, hoping that if she used gravity to keep her tears in her eyes, they wouldn't fall.

Inuyasha let out a grunt, and pulled her sleeping yukata further open to get a better look. "I think we should wrap it. He might have moved a lower rib."

Kagome let out a laugh at the whole situation, but gasped at the sharp pain.

"Maybe don't do that." Inuyasha stood up to get some bandages to wrap up her side. Koji had been watching from the dishes, but scrambled over to his mother when she gasped. He scooted his whole body on to her lap and tried to hold on to her, but Kagome had to pull his hands away from her chest to prevent him from aggravating her rib cage.

Koji took her moving his arms away from her as a sign of rejection and froze as Kagome turned his body around so he was facing away from her. She moved his arms and sang the song, trying to teach him a paddy cake game, hoping to distract him for the moment.

When Inuyasha approached, slowly, as if unsure as to what was going on, Kagome had him sit directly in front of Koji, and hold up his hands.

She repeated the motions and the chant until Inuyasha had started to catch on and was playing with his son. Koji, initially still and scared of rejection, started to warm up as he became distracted by the game. Soon, he was putting his hands together on his own, clapping to some unknown beat. Once Inuyasha was no longer needed for the little game Koji had started to play by himself, as clapping had become a much more interesting game than the actual paddy cake, he got to work on Kagome's side.

Koji was scooted to the end of her lap, resting on her knees with his feet firmly planted on the ground. Kagome kept repeating the paddy cake chant over and over again, but Koji's beat was not even remotely in time with hers. Kagome would stop and try to fit the chant in with the boy's clapping, but it appeared Koji had no sense of rhythm.

"Well," Kagome finally gave up and addressed her husband, who was tenderly tightening the bandages around her chest, "we know he's not going to grow up to be a musician."

Inuyasha didn't pause in his action. "No idea what you're talking about."

Kagome smiled and nodded. "Fair enough."

Koji still wasn't smiling and laughing like his normal self, even two days after his human night. Today was the first day that he struck her as having his normal amount of energy back.

But the steady return to normal brought further fears to her mind.

When was a good time to bring Koji back into the village? She was sure Sango and Miroku missed them or at least were wondering, since it was going on four days since that had seen their friends, but would that cause him stress?

Inuyasha finished wrapping up her chest, giving her a little pat on the side when he was done. "What should we do today?" he asked, moving to sit directly behind her and drape his arms around her waist loosely.

Kagome sighed and tilted her head back so that it rested on his shoulder. "Maybe it's too soon to bring him back to the village."

"Maybe. But I'm sure they are wondering about us."

"I don't want to overwhelm him."

Inuyasha understood her unspoken addition. If he reacted poorly to the village people, would that cause a repeat of his human night?

He was still so fragile. How would they know what was best for him?

Koji had worn himself out, and flopped his body backwards to rest on Kagome's chest. Inuyasha's arms bore the brunt of his weight, so only his head was putting any pressure on Kagome. Kagome was thankful in that moment for her attentive husband, as she wasn't sure how she could have distracted Koji again from laying on her.

Finally, Kagome herself leaned against Inuyasha's front and said, "I wouldn't mind another day at home just bumming around. There's always work to be done here."

"I don't think the little one will mind either." Inuyasha lifted his arms a little before dropping them, bouncing the child in Kagome's lap lightly. Koji didn't indicate he was intrigued by the game, but he also didn't protest, so Inuyasha continued to move him up and down. Kagome was a little annoyed by the head now lifting and dropping onto her sore chest, but she couldn't be bothered to say anything.

Koji eventually grew tired of the little game, and moved back to the bowls across the room. Instead of rearranging them, as was one of his most favorite past times, he brought them out, one by one, and laid them next to the fire. Kagome smiled at his antics, patting Inuyasha's arms to let him know she was going to get up.

Shifting to her knees so she could stand easier, Kagome exhaled, "I think he wants breakfast."

Inuyasha kept his hands out incase she needed help getting up, but agreed. "Yeah, that's a fair assumption."

Koji ate mostly on his own, which was an exciting sign for his parents. He gobbled down as much rice as he could with Inuyasha's attempts to keep him at a reasonable pace, and slurped down the miso soup, although most of it dribbled down his front and dirtied his clothes. Kagome only went to wipe his face once she realized the cloth on his body was not going to absorb any more liquid.

Once he was full, and thoroughly smelling like breakfast, Koji waddled over to his favorite location in the hut: the futon. He made a bold effort to climb on top of the bedding resting just above the ground to air out, only to be deterred by his father.

"Where do you think you're going, you breakfast fiend?" Inuyasha had pulled off his tops and put them to the side so he could lift the miso-scented toddler. "I think you need to clean up before you get in Mama's nice clean bedding."

Kagome smiled and started to stack their breakfast bowls for cleaning, leaving Inuyasha's separate from hers and Koji's, because she knew he would want to be eating more once he cleaned up the messy Koji. "Going to attempt to give him a bath?"

Inuyasha snorted. "I'm going to succeed in giving him a bath."

Although the soft wailing come from the now scooped up toddler told Inuyasha his success would come with a price.

It was still warm enough outside that Inuyasha could rinse Koji off into the river and not worry about giving the boy chills, despite the production that Koji would put on any time he realized he was being cleaned. Walking to the river, Koji tossed himself around in his father's embrace in a vain attempt to escape his inevitable fate of being cleaned off.

"Quit your squirming. I'll be faster than your mom." Inuyasha put the boy on his feet at the edge of the river and worked on getting removing the strongly smelling clothes. "You'll feel better once you don't smell like miso."

Koji, every time Inuyasha's hands separated from his body, made a break for the edge of the forest, causing Inuyasha to have to keep one hand on an arm at all times so he wouldn't have to chase a naked toddler through the woods.

Once he was stripped down Inuyasha tried to put his legs in the water, but using an extreme amount of core strength, Koji kept his feet well above the water, tucking his legs in close to his body and lifting his torso to be in line with Inuyasha's arms.

Inuyasha made several attempts to put the boy in the water on his feet, not wanting to sit him on the gravel of the river, before sighing and looking Koji in the eye. "You're going to make me get in, aren't you?"

Koji blinked in response.

Realizing that if he attempted to raise his pants so they wouldn't get wet, Koji would most likely be able to make a rapid dash for freedom, Inuyasha resigned himself to getting wet as well.

Standing from his crouched position, Inuyasha stepped into the river himself, silently chuckling at Koji's widening eyes.

"Didn't think I'd do it, did you?"

Inuyasha squatted back down, feeling his bottom get wet from the river and the water making a steady and firm encroachment through his fire rat robe. Although it was mostly water proof, it still got soaked when faced with an entire body of water.

Inuyasha put Koji on his knee and used one hand to hold him and the other to lift water from the river to rinse him off. While it wasn't the extent of washing that Kagome would have done, it was enough to get the smell of breakfast off of him.

Koji, however, was still not amused by the prospects of a fast rinse.

He swatted Inuyasha's hands away from him, frantic to get the water away, unintentionally, putting the entire handful of water up into Inuyasha's face. Although startled by the afront of cold water up his nose, Inuyasha remained still for the sake of the child sitting on his knee.

Taking a couple of deep breaths in through his nose to re-center himself, Inuyasha turn a disapproving gaze on his son.

Koji returned one of shock.

Inuyasha continued his efforts, using one hand to take smaller amounts of water and rinse off Koji's legs and then his chest. Koji continued to get Inuyasha just as wet as he was getting by flailing and smacking the hand away, but eventually, Inuyasha was able to remove most of the smell of the miso off of the child.

Both parties were thoroughly soaked for their efforts, and Inuyasha stood to carry them inside. Koji was still of the mindset that escape was his best option, not registering that it was all over, and continued to squirm with all his might. Inuyasha turned him outwards, resting his bottom on his hip and facing the toddler's chest outwards.

Inuyasha left the boy's clothes next to the river so he could come back and wash them once Koji was back inside with Kagome.

Koji tried to get leverage with his feet on his father's legs to push off into freedom.

Inuyasha kept walking to the hut, stopping in the genkan to put the boy on the floor, where the child streaked across the room into their bedding, his ultimate goal finally achieved.

"Rough go of it?" Kagome snorted from her spot by the door rinsing off the dishes via the bucket of water kept there. Inuyasha narrowed his eyes at her, sensing her amusement at his soaked state, deciding in that moment that the revenge was too good to be ignored.

Lowering himself to the balls of his feet and hands, Inuyasha stared at Kagome. Kagome, finally looking over at her husband, paled at the sight.

She pointed at him. "No, Inuyasha!" she shouted, rousing the attention of their toddler from the bedding to look over in curiosity, but Inuyasha had begun his shake.

And shake he did, spraying his wife, and most of the room, with the brisk water from the river that his child hand put on him.

Koji was clearly more amused by this than his mother was, who was sputtering and shouting indignantly at her husband, himself going in for one more good shake.

Koji shrieked in glee, his first sound of happiness in over three days, and clambered out of his nest in the bedding to run to his father.

"Inuyasha!" Kagome covered her face while she shrieked, not in glee, at him. "Not in the house!"

Inuyasha smiled at his wife, feeling like he had won this round, still in on his fours.

Koji reached his father finally and moved to mimic Inuyasha's stance, before shaking himself the exact same way.

Inuyasha balked at the water now being put on him, startled at Koji's actions, although amused that his son was so interested in copying him. Also amused that Kagome was now yelling, "Koji, no! Don't be like Daddy!"

Figuring he had more water to shake off now, Inuyasha twisted quickly to relieve himself of it, taking note of how Kagome was crawling to get away from the wet boys at the front, although it was pointless as Inuyasha had a great range.

Koji laughed, lighting up the room, and Kagome couldn't help but laugh as well, despite her annoyance at her husband in that moment.

From her hideaway just an arm's length away, Kagome told Inuyasha, "Look at what you have done."

Inuyasha looked at the toddler who was beaming. "Yeah, look at what I've done."


	15. Chapter 15

Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha nor am I making profit from this story. All rights belong to their respective owners.

"Shippo."

The kitsune jumped up in fright as his name was called from behind him. Whirling around, so fast he became slightly dizzy, Shippo looked at who had called him.

Inuyasha stood there, his arms crossed and his feet firmly planted. He looked down at the boy in front of him, regarding his tense posture with concealed worry.

Inuyasha didn't move a muscle as he spoke again, "Where have you been, runt?"

Shippo, still partially taken aback by his surprise visitor, opened and shut his mouth a few times. His eyes were wide as they looked into the older man's ones, concerned suddenly for what he was going to say. His mind began to spin different excuses, ones he thought might be slightly more plausible than the next, but he knew that Inuyasha would see through all of them.

So, he deflected a different way.

"I want to level up on my next test, so I've been practicing. Today, I'm working on my concealment charms!" Shippo twisted his face as best as he could from shock to what he hoped was excitement. "Wanna see me vanish?"

Before Shippo could release a veil of smoke, Inuyasha stepped forward and picked him up by the back of his shirt and lifted him to his sightline.

Looking the fox dead in the eye, Inuyasha said with finality, "You know that's not what I meant."

Shippo quickly adverted his eyes, not wanting to meet Inuyasha's gaze, nor have Inuyasha realize what had been on his mind.

"Don't know what you're going on about, dog breath. I've been around."

Inuyasha watched Shippo carefully. He had seen the dark cloud in the small boy's eyes and knew there was a deeper problem at hand here.

Why had Kagome insisted he was the one to go? Kagome could have helped Shippo much better than him.

Inuyasha inhaled deeply, his nostrils flexing wide. Shippo heard the noise, and immediately braced for the inevitable outburst from Inuyasha.

However, it never came.

Inuyasha could smell the stress, fear, and anxiety that had become woven into Shippo's scent recently. Whenever he could catch a trail of the fox kit in the village, those were the three emotions he could detect he best. Shippo hadn't been easy to track down, that was for sure, but Inuyasha was nothing if not persistent when he needed to be.

Shippo hadn't been seen around the village the last few weeks. When Koji had initially come home, he was terrified of his older brother. Kagome had tried to ease the tension between the two, offering sweet words of comfort to both boys and trying to foster a better relationship between them.

It was Miroku who suggested that perhaps Koji was afraid of Shippo because he was a full-blooded demon, and since there was absolutely no way of knowing what demons had done to the boy, time was the only cure to the stressed relationship.

Miroku offered his home to the kitsune until things were easier, and Koji wasn't so afraid.

Inuyasha and Kagome were heartbroken at the thought of Shippo not being able to stay with them, but the sheer fear that consumed Koji when Shippo was near also tore at them.

Shippo, seeing how distraught his adoptive parents were, as well as how scared his adoptive brother was, put on a brave face and agreed to stay with Miroku and Sango for a little while.

Inuyasha saw the hurt Shippo tried to hide, and Kagome assured it was only going to be for a little while, but Shippo knew what he needed to do.

He needed to grow up and be on his own.

Inuyasha watched the small body, dangling from his fist in almost too smalls clothes, go limp with resignation. He had a sneaking suspicion what Shippo had been up to lately, making himself scarce to everyone in the village to the point the men were commenting how the missed the mischief and the women were busy gossiping their worries around.

Inuyasha exhaled, trying his best to keep his temper in check. "Tell me the truth, Shippo."

Shippo shook his head violently, refusing to meet Inuyasha's gaze.

"Shippo."

"You wouldn't understand, Inuyasha! You wouldn't!" Shippo shouted, tears suddenly breaking from his eyes, despite him squeezing them shut at the start of his outburst. Sobs wracked his whole body, still being held in the air by Inuyasha.

The kitsune raised his fists to his eyes and pressed hard, trying to stop the tears. However, he couldn't do a thing about the shuttering gasps and anguished cries that left his throat.

Inuyasha's ears quickly pulled back as he looked at the boy in astonishment. The distress that Shippo was going through was something all too familiar to him. If anyone would understand, it would be him.

But maybe Shippo didn't know that.

Inuyasha dropped dramatically to the ground, sitting crisscrossed and place Shippo into his lap. Shippo buried his head into Inuyasha's knee, curling into himself while hysterics overtook him.

Inuyasha placed one hand on the boy's back, patting gently as he often did with Koji, and rested the other on Shippo's head. He was otherwise silent.

Shippo eventually relaxed as the tension and fear that had been dwelling deep into his heart finally subsided after weeks of spinning webs around his mind. He tried to take deep breaths and force himself to relax more, hoping he could manage to put on a brave face again.

But deep down he knew, Inuyasha would see right past it.

Inuyasha waited until Shippo pulled himself up to a seated position, lifting his hands from the child as he did, before speaking. "Kagome wants you to have dinner with us."

Shippo twisted and put his feet on the ground, ready to leave. He shook his head, but failed to form words.

"We're your family, Shippo. Nothing's going to change that."

Shippo tried to stand, but Inuyasha placed a hand on his head to keep the boy seated. Frustration welled up in Shippo's chest as the restriction, causing him to cry out, "Koji is too scared of me! I can't go to dinner! I can't be around anymore!"

Inuyasha picked Shippo up under his arms and turned him around to be able to speak to his face. Shippo watched, his mind stopping at the difference in Inuyasha. Before, Inuyasha would normally have lost his temper and given into the fight that Shippo was trying to pick. But he wasn't. He was remaining calm and ignoring the fight churning around them.

"Nonsense. You are Koji's older brother and you will stick around." Inuyasha looked Shippo in the eye, this time not allowing Shippo to look away. "Koji needs you, as much as you need him. You will not leave."

Shippo stood finally, his feet finding ground between Inuyasha's folded legs, his height changing the angle of the stare down, but not the intensity. "He's like you! I'm not!" Shippo's small hand beat against his chest in frustration and hurt. "I don't belong here anymore! Why don't you get that? Are you too dumb to understand that?"

Inuyasha's lips pressed tightly together and his eyes narrowed. Shippo watched as his jaw clenched, the muscles dancing underneath the skin. Inuyasha's eyebrow ticked in the air, and Shippo felt an odd sense of relief.

This was familiar.

He waited for Inuyasha to whirl an insult back, ready to fight and finally have the one good reason he left.

Inuyasha watched Shippo carefully. He wanted to desperately to tell him that no, he, Inuyasha, wasn't the one who was too dumb, but it was him, Shippo, who was far to stupid for his own good.

But picking that fight would go nowhere.

Gritting his teeth, Inuyasha asked the boy, standing fiercely between his legs, with his hands in tight fists and his eyes betraying his fear, "Why are you doing this?"

Shippo blinked. This was not the reaction he was looking for.

Inuyasha repeated, "Shippo, why are you doing this?"

The rage that had pushed him this far flooded from his body, and Shippo felt his shoulders and tail drop. He looked down at Inuyasha's throat, unsure of how to answer the older man's question.

Inuyasha took Shippo's chin in his hand and lifted his face to look at him again. "Why, Shippo? Why are you doing this?"

Shippo's voice was weak and cracked as he spoke. "You don't want me anymore."

Inuyasha had a feeling this was what was going on. He had felt this way before, and had acted very similarly to Shippo. He mentally braced himself for the conversation he was about to have with the small boy in front of him. "That's not true, Shippo."

Shippo sniffled, the tears from before rising to the surface once again. "Yes, it is. You have a kid who's just like you. And – and - he doesn't talk back to you or insult you. He…he doesn't make you mad, or – or – make you sad, or pull….pranks on you. And! He's nicer and cuter. And," Shippo's voice quivered as the tears fell down while he reviled his deepest fear, "he's better than me."

Inuyasha listened carefully, waiting until Shippo had stopped talking before speaking, "He's not better than you Shippo."

Shippo shook his head, pulling it out of Inuyasha's grasp, but Inuyasha spoke before he could protest.

"Family is made up of many people. You're one part of our family, Shippo. Without you, we're incomplete."

The finality in his voice forced Shippo to give up the fight. He dropped his chin down to his chest and sniffled, wiping his hands across his face. Inuyasha gently pulled the child into his arms, and embraced him.

Shippo returned the gesture, reaching his hands up to rest on Inuyasha's shoulder blades. He kept his head tucked low, but turned his face to press his cheek against Inuyasha's chest.

A year prior, such an exchange between the two of them would have been unheard of. But so much had changed recently, that it felt natural to them.

"Kagome's been really worried about you, Shippo." Inuyasha's voice vibrated deep in his chest, making it so that Shippo felt, as well as heard, what he was saying.

Inuyasha quietly added, "Maybe I have been too."

Shippo choked out, emotions still overwhelming him, "Really?"

Inuyasha nodded, patting Shippo's back tenderly. "Really."

Together they stayed, Inuyasha offering fatherly comfort that Shippo didn't realize he had been missing for so long. Shippo silently wondered to himself when Inuyasha had changed so much, and how much of the change had happened while he had been avoiding them.

He also wondered how Kagome had changed.

It was long while before Inuyasha spoke again, his body tensing as he tried to figure out just exactly what he was trying to say. He wanted to make sure Shippo knew that he did in fact understand. He understood better than anything else.

But the words evaded him, staying just past his mind and taunting him with their closeness.

His mind worked to figure out just what exactly he needed to say to Shippo.

Was it that he understood how it felt to no longer feel wanted? Or was he trying to assure him that he has also felt he lost his family suddenly overnight?

Or was he just trying to make sure Shippo knew he would always have a home?

Finally, after much internal debate over what was the best thing to say, Inuyasha stopped patting Shippo's back and cleared his throat loudly.

Shippo didn't raise his head from Inuyasha's chest, but he was pulled away from his own internal thoughts to focus in on the red-clad man's words.

"You remember when Kagome was gone, Shippo?"

Shippo felt confused at the comment. "Sure. She was gone three years, Inuyasha."

"You remember how I didn't come by the village often?"

"Yeah, Miroku had to drag you out from the forest when Sango was having the twins."

Inuyasha nodded lightly, also remembering the harsh and difficult conversations he had with the other man. Miroku would stand at the edge of the forest and hurl insults into the air, daring Inuyasha to come out and face his wrath, telling him he was expected for dinner and if he let Sango down, then Miroku would have to come and beat him for it, and finally just asking for Inuyasha to come home.

Inuyasha would hear – it was hard not to with his ears and it coming from a familiar voice – but never once did he emerge.

Until Sango became pregnant.

He was shocked when Miroku ventured far enough into the trees to find him sitting in a tree.

" _Sango and I are expecting, Inuyasha."_ Miroku had looked up at him, his face carefully concealing what he was feeling.

Inuyasha didn't know how to respond to the news. He knew they were married, he had been around for the ceremony, but that was it.

Miroku continued softly. _"We need our friend back, Inuyasha. I need my friend as I enter fatherhood and Sango needs to know you'll help take care of the child"_

" _I'm not good at taking care of kids."_ Inuyasha barked in response.

Miroku's staff jingled lightly as he rocked back on his feet to get a better look up at Inuyasha. _"Neither am I. That's why we need each other."_

Inuyasha tensed up and pointedly looked away. _"You don't need me."_

" _Yes, we do, Inuyasha. You're part of our family, Inuyasha. Without you, we're incomplete."_

If his words had reached Inuyasha all the way up in the top of the tree, Inuyasha didn't let on. But, Miroku, in his understanding of his friend, turned to leave, only casting over his shoulder one last remark. _"We'll see you for dinner then, Inuyasha. Sango's making stew."_

Inuyasha pulled away from his memory of that day to tell Shippo the truth of his absence. "I thought you guys didn't want me anymore. Kagome was gone and so was any reason you had to keep me around."

Inuyasha firmed his gaze on the horizon, unwilling and unable to meet Shippo's look of astonishment. "I stayed away because I thought you had only kept me around because Kagome wanted me. Once Kagome was gone, so was my reason to stay."

Shippo opened his mouth to retort that Inuyasha was being stupid, but was cut off by the older man continuing. "Miroku reminded me that I was a part of the family, and that I had a home. When I saw Sango, she was so upset with me for avoiding her, that I realized I had hurt her by trying to not be hurt myself."

Inuyasha finally looked down at Shippo. "And you. You said some pretty nasty stuff, but I knew it was because I had hurt you by leaving. I never did get to say I was sorry for that, Shippo."

Shippo saw the sincerity in Inuyasha's eyes, and recognized his own fears from the last few weeks in them. He had done the same thing Inuyasha had when the well had sealed shut. He felt remorse for his actions, but also a deep relief that Inuyasha understood – he actually did – what he was going through.

Shippo placed his head down on Inuyasha's chest, whispering, "I'm sorry, Inuyasha."

"I know," Inuyasha murmured back. "I know…"

They remained for a while, just enjoying the feeling of finding a friend in their emotional turmoil.

The sun began to sink low on the horizon, just as Shippo's stomach began to growl loudly. Inuyasha kept Shippo in his embrace as he stood up and began to walk towards their home for supper.

Shippo, once they were on the move, scrambled out of Inuyasha's grasp and onto his shoulder, where he used to ride during their journey to find the jewel shards.

"What's Kagome making for dinner?" Shippo inquired, feeling light-hearted and ready to go home.

Inuyasha tucked his hands into his sleeves and shrugged. "Who knows? Koji's new pastime is digging up the garden, so I'm guessing whatever she couldn't replant today."

Shippo laughed at mental image of Koji digging up Kagome's garden. She was very proud of it, and was probably displeased at it being destroyed. "He sounds like a handful. How do you and Kagome manage?"

Inuyasha also laughed at Shippo's comment, responding, "Well, we're used to handfuls, fighting demons and all, so we take it one battle at a time."

The mild conversation continued all the way to the hut, Inuyasha filling Shippo in on all of the changes in Koji over the last few weeks, including shaking like a dog to remove water.

"Ah, Kagome always hated it when you did that near her."

"Now she's got two people who do it. She's out-numbered."

Kagome didn't hear the comment, but she saw the boys walking towards the hut and waved largely with her arms. She tucked her head into the hut to call Koji over to greet his father and big brother. Koji barreled out, not wanting to miss any of the action, even if it meant being separated from reorganizing the dinner plates.

Shippo hopped off Inuyasha's shoulder and walked beside him, careful to match the slowing pace of the older man.

Koji squealed in absolute delight at the sight of his father, eager to gain much deprived attention from him, but stopped when he saw Shippo.

He stood still, inching to stand closer to his mother to hold her pant leg. Shippo also stopped, certain in that moment he was facing the ultimate rejection.

Inuyasha put his knee on Shippo's back and gently pushed him forward. "None of that," he said. "He's got to get to know you."

Shippo, mildly encouraged although still very cautious, walked towards Kagome and Koji. Kagome squatted down and opened her arms for Shippo. Lovingly, she embraced him once he reached her, telling him, "Welcome home, Shippo."

Shippo nodded, burying his head into her shoulder to avoid the burning gaze of the smaller boy next to her. Once his head was turned away, breathing in the comforting smell of Kagome, he felt a little hand grab a fistful of his tail and tug.

Before he could yelp in discomfort or even turn around, he heard and felt Inuyasha remove Koji from Shippo.

"Hey now, tails aren't for tugging. You leave him alone." Inuyasha lifted Koji up and walked into the hut. "You've got to figure that out, bud. You can't just go pulling on other people."

Kagome asked Shippo if his tail was okay, and he assured her it was, choosing to ignore the slight twinge Koji's hard tug had left on his back.

Kagome dropped a gentle kiss onto the top of his head and said, "See, he already likes you."

Shippo smiled to himself, thinking that if a sore tail was what he got for being an older brother, then it was a pretty good deal.

As they walked into the hut, Shippo saw Inuyasha grappling with Koji to prevent him from going face first into the pot of rice and from knocking over the cups of water and bowls of soup Kagome had prepared.

Kagome instantly sprung into action, pulling her son away from the hot pot and onto her lap where she could watch him while Inuyasha served the rice.

Shippo sat to Inuyasha's left, ready to help where he could, grateful to see the food around them and smell the warmth of the hut. Inuyasha handed him filled rice bowls as he handed him empty ones. Together, they sorted out the food for the little family for dinner.

Koji was released to find his seat next to Shippo, where the food had been cooled enough that neither parent was concerned the boy could burn himself on it while he scarfed it down.

Shippo watched in amazement as the toddler ate faster than him and nearly lost his own meal to the toddler's vacuum.

Kagome pulled Shippo's portion of tofu away from Koji and put it back in front of Shippo, tutting lightly at the toddler who was now working on Inuyasha's bowl of rice that had been offered as a substitute.

Inuyasha advised Shippo, "Got to watch your food around him. He thinks everything is free game and will eat it all."

Shippo nodded seriously, inhaling his own food as fast as he could then, to insure the toddler wouldn't be able to get it.

"Careful you don't choke, Shippo," Kagome warned, handing Inuyasha a new bowl for rice.

The excitement of the meal, although new and fragile as the family tried to figure out the ins and outs of their lives together, reminded Shippo of the first few months traveling looking for the jewel shards.

Back then, he had clung so desperately to the notion of a brand-new family – one that would fill in the gap left in his life by the death of his parents. While chewing the large mouthful of food he had shoved into his mouth, Shippo looked at the red-headed child sitting next to him, now splattering rice on his face instead of eating it.

Had this child felt the same desperation when he met Inuyasha and Kagome? Was he scared to be alone and relieved to have found people who would take care of him?

If so, Shippo knew that feeling, having once endured it himself. Perhaps he could help Koji out, and be a part of his family.

Resolving to be the best big brother he could, Shippo put his empty food bowl down and patted the top of Koji's head. Koji was startled by the sudden contact, tensing and lowering his head down to swivel it and stare at the kitsune next to him. His eyes were wide, trying to sort out what the sudden affection might mean, but when he saw Shippo's smiling at him, he smiled back, unchewed food spilling from his mouth.

"Ah, buddy, you didn't finish eating that?" Inuyasha leaned over to pick up the chunks of food now on the floor.

Koji, his attention being drawn to the motion of his father, looked down at the floor as well. Realizing that Inuyasha was picking up the food, he lurched suddenly and strongly forward with a loud "AH!" and began to put the food back into his mouth as fast as he could.

Kagome dropped her bowl and shouted, "No, Koji! Don't eat it off the floor, baby!" joining her husband in trying to pick up the food faster than the boy could shove it into his mouth.

Shippo howled in laughter at the sight of Kagome and Inuyasha trying to outdo a toddler who was hell bent that no one would get his food. He clutched his stomach, rolling back onto the floor, laughter spilling from his lips.

Koji was distracted by the sudden motion beside him, and became far more fascinated in crawling on Shippo to see what was making him laugh. The little hands, sticky with rice, pulling at his sleeves only made Shippo laugh harder.

Never one to be left out of the fun in any way, despite not know what was going on, Koji choose to start laughing as well, joining Shippo in creating a joyous chorus in the hut.

The married couple had paused to watch the children's interaction, fine with food being on the floor as long as it wasn't being eaten by a very ambitious baby. When they started laughing together, Kagome smiled and looked over at her husband, whose face was soft – a rare sight for her.

Sensing her gaze, he looked over and nodded at her. They looked at each other lovingly, before a particularly loud squeal cut through the hut, forcing them to look back at the boys. Koji had crawled on top of Shippo and was pressing his tacky hands to his older brother's face.

They both shrieked in laughter, and this time, the adults in the hut couldn't help but join as well.


	16. Chapter 16

Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha and company, nor am I making profit from this story. All rights belong to their respective owners.

"Today is the big day, Koji," Kagome told the toddler at breakfast. Inuyasha was walking with Shippo to the village to drop him off at Sango and Miroku's for the next few days, so it was only the mother and the boy.

Koji looked up briefly from mashing his rice into mochi, his eyebrow lifted inquisitively at the tone of his mother's voice.

Kagome nodded, smiling wide and looking at him. "Today we're going to go meet Grandma and Great-Grandpa. Maybe your uncle will be there too!" Kagome clapped her hands in excitement, leaning forward to lower her face to Koji's. "Isn't it exciting?"

Koji had no idea what was in store for him, but he was always willing to join the fun. He gasped loudly, a broad smile crossing his face and clapped his hands messily together. He laughed with his mother and rocked back and forth a little bit, before lifting his arms up, requesting to be held.

Kagome obliged and lifted him into her embrace, blowing raspberries towards him to continue his laughter.

She knew she should cherish the moment of happiness because as soon as the sling was brought out, he was going become defiant.

They had some success before with putting him in the sling for a few hours, while Kagome worked on the garden or Inuyasha worked in the fields with the men. But as Koji got a little bit older, and a little bit more secure in his surroundings, his personality started to come through.

And like almost every toddler before him, his personality had a bit of a stubborn streak at this age.

He was becoming willful, less likely to be appeased with hugs and kisses when upset, although a little bit of food almost always soothed his raging emotions. Shippo was also a constant source of distraction, the older child willing to play and amuse the toddler as best as he could.

But sometimes, even Shippo wasn't enough, and a temper tantrum was unavoidable.

Koji was often the most distraught whenever he was contained in any capacity. He hated having to put on sandals to walk outside; he hated having to be bathed when he found a good and wet mud puddle; he hated have to wait for dinner when he could smell it cooking right there.

He was always completely besides himself whenever it came to taking a nap now, not willing to stay down for more than a few minutes, even with a parent next to him. Inuyasha or Kagome would lie down on their sides, tucking him close and trying to sing to him, but he would squirm and move away as best as he could from their grasp, whining and whimpering the whole time.

Whichever parent wasn't on the futon would have to guard the door because of the mad dash Koji would make as soon as he got his feet under him. He would try to stay awake, tossing and turning, kicking his feet to keep himself active, until he was so tired, he was almost angry with the world.

Then he would crash and sleep for hours. Sometimes he slept too long, and wouldn't go down for bedtime, creating midnight chaos in the hut as he sought to keep himself busy.

It was a gamble every morning if he was feeling cooperative that day, or if he had his own agenda for to fulfill.

Kagome often teased her husband over this mercilessly, often commenting, "I wonder if it's an inu thing, to be so stubborn for no reason?"

Inuyasha would grunt and toss her an unamused look while he tried to reason with her. "You're stubborn too, woman," he would retort, snorting in her direction.

Kagome heard Inuyasha walking back up the trail, which told her that he was making ample noise so Koji could hear his father walking up. Sure enough, the bright red ears, which had become richer in color as the boy became richer in health, perked up.

Koji squirmed to get back down, ready to greet his father as he came into the house. He stood at the genkan, bouncing up and down on the balls of his feet in excitement.

Inuyasha pulled back the reed door covering just enough to stick his face in and see his son standing there, a big smile pulled across his face. Inuyasha's mouth tilted up in return, although not as big as his son's.

Pushing forward even more, Inuyasha's whole head was in the hut, but the rest of his body was on the outside. Kagome knew that he was trying to prolong this moment of happiness, where Koji was excited that he was home.

He also knew that this moment would only last for so long. As soon as he stepped into the hut and Koji saw the sling wrapped around his father's chest, all hell would break loose.

Kagome continued to clean up from breakfast, separating scraps to go into the compost pile for her budding garden.

Inuyasha played a few rounds of peek-a-boo with Koji, using the door covering as his hiding place. Koji, for his part, would cover his eyes with his hands, giggling with such enthusiasm that he was unable to join in on the speaking part of the game.

Kagome silently thanked her husband for stalling the inevitable long enough for her to be able to clean up from breakfast and sort out their hut. It would be at least a day, if not longer, before they came back to it, and she always felt better when returning to a clean and sorted space.

Once she finished, she watched the game between boy and father for a while, sitting on her legs with her hands folded lightly in her lap. Koji had developed the type of laugh that squealed at the very end of it, and Kagome smiled and chuckled softly every time he shrieked.

He had become so happy and relaxed compared to their first few days with him.

She wondered if he remembered anything of his past.

Eventually, Koji became tired of the game, and stepped off the floor into the genkan to gain access to his father's legs, which he clutched with such ferocity that Inuyasha squawked, "What do you think you're doing there, bud?"

Koji just laughed and squeezed harder.

Kagome rose from her position on the floor, dusting her legs mildly. "Well," she spoke to her husband, "shall we?"

Inuyasha waddled through the door, toddler-bound and unable to walk normally.

"Yeah," he said, pushing aside the door covering and finally completely entering the home, "suppose we should."

Koji had yet to see the baby sling draped loosely around Inuyasha's torso, as he was focused on peering through Inuyasha's legs to the outside.

Kagome picked up the few items they were going to bring with them through the well, including a blanket from the hut and one of Koji's favorite bowls, on the off chance he was unwilling to eat from his grandma's dishes. She secured the items in a large cloth, accepting Inuyasha's help to tie it around her shoulders for ease of travel.

Kagome looked down at the boy, observing the outside world from the safety of his father's legs. "Time to go, Koji," she called to him. Koji looked over at the sound of his name.

Kagome squatted down and held her arms out. Koji shoved his head back between Inuyasha's legs and gave her no more attention.

"Koji…" Kagome called again, hoping he would come to her and she wouldn't have to extract him from Inuyasha.

A singular ear flicked at her, but he didn't turn.

Kagome dropped her hands to her knees and looked up at Inuyasha, her eyes filled with unspoken accusations.

This was the exact attitude Inuyasha threw at her too.

Inuyasha looked away sheepishly, avoiding eye contact as best as he could.

Kagome tried one last time cooing out, "Koji baby, come here." But the boy didn't budge.

Inuyasha wiggled his legs back and forth, attempting to disrupt the boy from his task. "Koji," he said, his voice loud and firm.

Koji pulled his head back and looked up at Inuyasha, questions in his gaze.

"Time to go to Mama."

Koji rolled backwards, laying on the ground while looking straight up at Inuyasha. He tossed his arms above his head and splayed his legs out. His parents recognized that he was feeling dramatic today from this action. Kagome waited for the whines that she knew were going to come.

Silence remained, however.

Koji regarded his father fully. He narrowed his eyes when he saw the sling and his face furrowed together. Inuyasha's ears pulled back, more out of a reflex than anything else. A face like that meant a temper tantrum was inbound.

Koji stared for a long while, contemplating his options. Kagome wanted to pick him up and just start walking, knowing he would carry on for a bit in protest, but she also knew that if she took this faster than Koji wanted to, she risked a prolonged and bigger fit.

So, she waited for Koji's next move.

Inuyasha knew that he was now the focus of Koji's undivided attention for the time being, because he had the sling on his body. The full body roll away from him also told him that Koji was most likely not going to tolerate being put in the swing very well, and he was probably going to be a very upset child for the majority of the day.

Inuyasha stared back at Koji, refusing to back down. Koji's eyes began to water, and Inuyasha felt his heart break at the sight. But he didn't waiver in his stance, nor give any indication that he was going to cave.

He and Kagome had agreed that tonight, the night of the New Moon, was the best night to go to her time. They feared that Koji might have a rather extreme reaction to his father's human night, and worried he might make noise that animals or other things would come to investigate. If they were in Kagome's time at least, there was no worry of a stray dog or what not coming into their home to see what the fuss was about.

That meant Inuyasha wouldn't have to worry about chasing the critter out while appeasing a worried baby.

They had put off going to Kagome's time until Koji had become more comfortable and secure in his surroundings, but as the first night Koji would see Inuyasha human approached, so did their options.

Koji was just going to have to tolerate being in the sling for a little while.

Koji finally looked away, rolling onto his side, then his hands and knees. He pushed him self up and crawled into Kagome's arms, which were still placed on her knees but moved to embrace him.

He didn't fuss or make a noise. Kagome tossed a questioning glance up at her husband, who also was confused by the turn of events.

For whatever reason, unknown to either parent, Koji had opted out of a tantrum.

Koji stood between his mother's legs and buried his face into her shoulder. He didn't cry our make much of a noise. Kagome held him close and rubbed his back for a moment, before scooping him up to be able to stand.

Inuyasha helped Kagome get her shoes on, so she wouldn't have to try to let go of Koji, and together they left the hut.

They walked side by side down the well-traveled path to the well. Neither of them spoke the short journey, but they exchanged confused and concerned glances.

Koji clung to Kagome the entire way there.

Miroku met them at the well. He had agreed prior to stand at the bottom incase Koji wasn't able to get through and take of the boy until his parents got back.

Miroku smiled at them, patting Koji's back lightly once the family was in reach.

"Big day today," the uncle spoke to his nephew. Koji's ears pulled low into his hair but he didn't react otherwise. Inuyasha looked at his friend and shrugged.

Kagome's mouth moved into a very small smile – one that did not reach her eyes. "I don't think he's having any of it."

Miroku nodded his understanding. "I can see that," he gently spoke. "The girls can be like this too sometimes."

Miroku looked over at Inuyasha, removing his hand from Koji's back and smiling at his friend. "It's all a part of being a toddler."

Inuyasha accepted the politely worded advice from his friend, and Kagome nodded as well. Miroku made further small talk for a moment, asking how their morning went others, but there was little to say.

Kagome and Inuyasha wrangled with Koji's death grip while Miroku climbed into the bottom of the well to prepare for the journey across centuries. Once Koji was extracted from Kagome and put into the sling, not without a bit of a fight from the boy who made his body as rigid as it would go, Kagome gave him a kiss on his forehead and kiss to his father.

"See you in a few," Kagome told her boys before jumping down the well.

Koji's eyes went wide at the sight of the light emanating from the well, and he leaned out of the sling just enough to look for his mother. When he didn't see her – only Miroku at the bottom – he tensed up and swung his body back, smashing hard into Inuyasha's chest.

"We're next," Inuyasha told the boy, patting his head with one large hand. Using his strength and claws, Inuyasha slowly descended into the well. Miroku kept his arms out and ready as Inuyasha put his feet on the dirt floor of the well shaft.

For a brief moment, the men looked at each other. Then, a bright light encapsulated Inuyasha, and thusly Koji.

Miroku was left standing alone at the base of the well. All went as planned.

Pulling the vines that trailed down, Miroku began his climb out of the well. He picked up his staff, left on the ground at the top and began to walk back to his own family, assured that his friends were well and safe on the other side.


	17. Chapter 17

Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha and company, nor am I making profit from this story. All rights belong to their respective owners.

Once Kagome's vision had refocused from the brightness of the well light, she saw her husband and son standing beside her. She wanted to cry out from happiness that Koji had made it though the well just fine, but held back as to not startle the poor toddler.

Inuyasha patted his front to confirm the weight resting on it was his son, before looking at Kagome and nodding.

"Success, I guess," his wife told him.

Koji's nose was wiggling, rapidly taking in as much information as possible about his new surroundings. Kagome worried he would become overstimulated and agitated, but knew better than to try to comfort him.

He had to figure this out on his own.

While Inuyasha could hear Koji sniffing around as best as he could, still in the sling, he couldn't see the boy's face. What he could see, however, were his ears that were slowly, but steadily, retreating back into his hair.

Inuyasha tapped Kagome's shoulder to get her attention. "Is he gonna cry?" he asked her.

Kagome shrugged, still looking at Koji's face that was bright with confusion – or was it wonder? His eyes were gleaming as he slowly looked around and saw things that her human eyes couldn't in the dark. Inuyasha patted the top of Koji's head again, trying to appease the rampant emotions in the boy's tiny body.

Kagome made no movement towards Koji, wanting him to decide how he felt about the changes.

If they were lucky, he wouldn't be too upset by it.

After what felt like an eternity at the bottom of the well, Koji twisted his head to look up at his father. Inuyasha could tell that Koji was trying to scope out their feelings about the new place, seeking some indication of how he should feel.

Inuyasha kept his ears forward and his gaze soft, hoping to tell Koji that this was a good place to be.

As Koji's eyes lifted to Inuyasha's ears, his parents watched his own furry red triangles make an appearance again. Kagome could have shouted from joy at the sight of the little ears lifting upwards, but a sudden sound like that could aggravate Koji and make a mess of the situation.

Koji lowered his face to look at Kagome's expression. She smiled brightly at him before clapping her hands together and saying, "Yay!"

Koji watched her applaud the situation for a moment, furrowing his brows together in confusion. Seconds later, he burst out in laughter and clapped his hands together with is mother.

Inuyasha bit back a snort of laughter at his son's willingness to mimic his mother, no matter what.

"Kagome?" a voice from the well house door called. "Kagome, is that you?"

Kagome looked up and smiled, despite the visitor not being able to see her. "Mama!" she exclaimed.

The hurried thumps down the stairs told Inuyasha that more than one person was coming down to see them, and the wind that carried their scents told him who they were. Soon, Mama Higurashi's face, as well as Grandpa's peered over the well at the little family standing down in it. Koji's face leaned back to take in the visitors, but he didn't indicate in any way that he was frightened.

Inuyasha thanked his lucky stars that.

Grandpa noticed Koji first, bellowing out, as he often did, "Well, would you look at that strapping young lad!"

The comment drew Mama Higurashi's attention over from Kagome to Inuyasha. "Oh, is that him?" she asked, her voice growing quiet with excitement. "Is that Koji?"

Hearing his name from an unknown source, Koji looked at his grandmother with a sour look, as if questioning her as to why she dared called to him.

His grandmother, for her part, was unfazed by the look. "He's got Inuyasha's face!"

Kagome, confused by her mother's comment, looked at Koji to see him glowering up at his grandmother. "Yeah," Kagome sighed, "he's got a lot of Inuyasha in him lately."

Inuyasha looked back and forth from his wife to her mother in indignation. He spluttered out, "How is any of this from me?"

Kagome pointedly ignored him as she clambered out of the well to give her mother a hug. Inuyasha thought about lodging a protest against his wife's actions, but the look of amusement from Grandpa told him it wasn't meant to start a fight.

Sighing loudly, a noise Koji readily copied, Inuyasha leapt from the base of the well onto the edge smoothly.

Grandpa leaned in closely to have a better look at the toddler in Souta's old sling. Koji looked back at the older man with mild disinterest. Inuyasha took Koji being unamused by the situation over being afraid, though.

Once Mama Higurashi had given her daughter a long and strong hug, she pulled back to look at Koji. He was busy looking Grandpa up and down, taking in the older man, so he didn't notice Mama Higurashi getting closer to him.

"Aw, he's so precious," she whispered softly.

But it was loud enough that Koji looked over at her sharply, taken aback by her sudden presence. Kagome mentally braced for the crying fit that she thought would come from Koji being startled and moved to take him from Inuyasha.

Inuyasha, having felt Koji's body jolt in surprise, moved his hands upwards to help Kagome take him for when he cried.

Koji surprised all of them by leaning forward, and sniffing Mama, instead of crying out.

Mama let him check her out for a moment, staying still for him.

Kagome held her breath, hoping Koji would recognize some of her on his grandmother and perhaps not be too upset by her proximity to him. She silently hoped that he would be able to tell the woman in front of him was related to his mother from her scent.

Koji finished sniffing out the woman before him, quickly assessing she was of no immediate danger to him. He turned and reached out to ask for his mother to hold him, his arms upwards expectant as he leaned out of the sling towards her direction. Kagome quickly took a hold of him, pulling him close to her chest and praising him.

Mama Higurashi's arms longed to hold the little child, but she knew, from what Inuyasha had told her, that she needed to allow the child to come to her.

"He's absolutely beautiful, Kagome."

Kagome nodded, still pressing kisses into the top of Koji's fuzzy head. "He's the best baby anyone could ask for."

Grandpa started to move up the stairs, and everyone else quickly followed suit. Once they were out in the open air, Koji's head lifted from it's resting spot on his mother's chest as he looked around. While the compound may not look too different from the past, the towering skyscrapers and whirling cars invisible to the human eye, Kagome knew that Koji must be smelling things foreign to him.

Inuyasha stepped close to pat Koji's back tenderly, aiming to still some of the tension now encapsulating the entirety of his son's body.

Inuyasha spoke softly to the boy in Kagome's arms. "Strange place, isn't it? Lots going on."

Koji looked over at his father, eyes wide in wonder and fear from the strange sensation that was coming from his surroundings. Koji lifted himself toward Inuyasha this time, wanting the comfort of his father during this very confusing moment.

Kagome lifted him upwards to Inuyasha, not wanting to feel a slight sting from the interaction, but the hurt staying there.

Inuyasha gave Kagome an understanding look while tucking the toddler close to him in a gentle manner. Koji tightened his fists into Inuyasha's suikan, tucking his head low under his father's chin for comfort.

As they all entered the house, Mama Higurashi moved to make some tea for them. Grandpa lead the way into the tatami room where the kotastu was ready to heat up their laps.

"So, tell me about him," Grandpa said while lifting the blanket to surround his upper body, looking with wonder at the small body in Inuyasha's arms. "What does he like? What doesn't he like?"

Kagome motioned for Inuyasha to sit closest to Grandpa so the elder could be able to look at Koji, and Koji at him. She hoped that this would help him be able to associate these new people as family members.

Inuyasha shifted Koji's weight a little bit while sitting down, jostling the small child up and down until Koji was sitting in his lap. Koji still held on tightly to his father, keeping their chests together and his eyes up and looking around.

"Well," Inuyasha lifted the blanket, tucking it around Koji's body while speaking, "he hates baths, and loves food."

Grandpa nodded. "Just like any toddler."

"He loves to do exactly what Inuyasha does, which includes not liking being like to be told what to do." Kagome scooted close to sit alongside Inuyasha and put a gentle hand on Koji's fist. "He doesn't like to be away from us either, but he loves to run into mud puddles every chance he gets."

"Souta did that too." Mama arrived with the cups of tea and a sippy cup for Koji filled with water.

Kagome nodded her acknowledgement of her mother's arrival, helping to distribute the cups of tea. Kagome took the sippy cup and tried to give it to Koji with little success. He turned his head away when the cup touched his lips and wouldn't acknowledge it.

He didn't know what it was and wasn't interested in finding out.

Kagome put the cup down and looked up at Inuyasha. He was gently brushing hair away from Koji's face, his eyes gentle with the look of parental love. Kagome felt her heart swell at the sight, and placed her head on his shoulder.

Inuyasha looked over at her, his eyes saying all that needed to be said.

Koji had made it over. They were a complete family now.

Kagome, keeping her head on Inuyasha's shoulder, shifted to press her cheek against it and speak to her mother and grandfather.

"It's the night of the new moon."

Grandpa nodded understandingly, taking a long drink of his tea.

Mama Higurashi asked Kagome, holding her cup tenderly in her hands, "Does Koji share the same human night as Inuyasha."

"No," Kagome exhaled with a slightly laugh, "thank goodness. His is on the waning quarter, so we've got a little bit of time between them"

"Do you think he can tell It's Inuyasha's human night? He seems tense."

Kagome shrugged, looking down at Koji who had finished looking around the room and was now tugging at her to hold him. Kagome lowered a hand to his back, hoping to keep him in place but keep him comforted.

Koji was appeased by the small gesture and stopped pulling on her, however, he didn't release her front.

Kagome answered her mother's question, "Maybe? He's just a tense baby unfortunately, so it's hard to tell."

Inuyasha added, "He doesn't do well with much change still, and I think the trip over here might have freaked him out."

Mama nodded, still cradling her cup in her hand, the warmth radiating from it into her joints. She longed to hold the little guy in her own arms, having always been very fond of babies, but she recognized the trauma Koji must have gone though.

They were still sitting at the table, making small talk and trying to get Koji used to the presence of new people, when Souta arrived after his morning soccer practice.

"I'm home!" Souta hollered from the front door, startling Koji.

Koji scrambled up to Inuyasha's chest, kicking his legs wildly as he tried to be held closer. As Souta walked into the room, Koji's eyes went wide in fear and he let out a shriek of terror at the sight of the unfamiliar person.

Kagome rubbed her son's back, trying to calm him down. "It's okay, sweetie. That's your Uncle Souta. He's not going to hurt you."

Souta had looked over in shock when he heard the loud noise come from the dinner table and Inuyasha's general area. He stumbled back a few steps, before clamping a hand over his mouth and looking guiltily at his sister.

Kagome just smiled at him, shaking her head slightly to let him know it wasn't a big deal.

"Sorry," Souta whispered, walking around to the other side of the table to sit next to his mother. "Didn't know you were here."

Inuyasha huffed, patting Koji's back and waiting for the boy to relinquish his death grip on his hair. "No way you could have. This is Koji by the way."

"Mama told me about him. Kind of sucks this is his first impression of me. A large, loud bumbling guy."

Kagome laughed at her brother's description of himself. "Don't worry too much about it, Souta. He'll warm up eventually."

Koji pulled his face away from Inuyasha's neck when he heard Kagome's laugh and looked at her with panicked eyes. Kagome blew kisses at him and nuzzled the side of his face.

Mama pulled Souta away to help her prepare lunch and give Koji some space. Grandpa procured some snacks from his secret hiding spot and offered some to Koji as a peace offering. Koji looked at the food with curiosity hidden behind his wariness.

"It's good, I promise," Grandpa spoke softly and slowly to Koji.

Koji swiveled around in Inuyasha's grasp to sit back on his lap and face Grandpa. He watched Grandpa very closely as he reached one tiny hand forward to take the small cracker from the elder. He maintained eye contact while putting the food into his mouth and chewing it very slowly.

Kagome snickered at the sight of her son staring down her grandfather. Grandpa, unfazed by Koji's stare down, picked up a cracker for himself and ate it. Koji swallowed his when Grandpa did, careful to follow whatever the elder did.

Grandpa offered him a second one, which Koji eagerly took this time, no hesitation involved.

Kagome halfway worried that Koji wouldn't have any room for lunch, but she wanted the two to bond more than anything, so she let it slide.

Inuyasha watched the interaction with amusement. When he had first met the old man, who was feeding his toddler, Inuyasha had thought of him as just another bothersome old guy who though he knew more than he did. Back then, Inuyasha would never have imagined him sitting across the table from a little boy, feeding him crackers as a way of making friends.

But then again, Inuyasha never would have imagined himself a father to said little boy.

Mama came in with a simple cold lunch of several side dishes and chilled tofu. Souta helped distribute the dishes to each person, placing two in front of Inuyasha to compensate for the child in his lap.

Koji looked over at Souta as he put down the bowl of rice. Souta smiled back at Koji, hoping the child wasn't so afraid of him anymore.

The intense stare Koji gave Souta didn't waver at the presence of a smile, so Souta quickly scooted away as to not stress the boy out.

But, as soon as Souta was an armlength away, Koji grabbed a fistful of the rice and shoved most of it into his mouth. The rest went into his lap.

Souta paused, stunned by the action of the toddler. Kagome told him, "That's what he does," before saying a small grace and eating herself.

Inuyasha picked up the rice that had fallen into Koji's lap and put it up by his mouth so he would eat it.

Koji loudly chewed, pulling himself up on the table slightly to survey his other culinary options.

Souta bit back a laugh, nodding at his sister. "He likes food."

"Who doesn't?" Inuyasha responded.

Souta sat next to his mother once again once all the dishes were distributed. From his spot, he got a good view of the destruction that Koji was wrecking on the meal.

While the boy stayed mainly to his side of the table, he once or twice helped himself to Grandpa's food as well. Inuyasha tried to scoot the dishes out of Koji's eager grasp, but Grandpa stopped him.

"Ah let him eat what he wants. He's small and I'm old. He could use the food more than me."

Inuyasha nodded, silently grateful for the kindness the elder was showing his son.

Mama teased the new parents, "We'll work on his manners when he's older. For now, I'm just happy he feels comfortable with us."

After lunch, Souta went up to his room to work on homework. Inuyasha walked around with Koji, monitoring his exploration of the house.

Koji seemed most off put by the stairs inside, and Inuyasha told Grandpa, who was trying to get him to climb up them, "Probably the first time he's run into these anywhere but outside."

Grandpa snorted, watching the small body place his hands on the stairs and take it off, his confusion evident.

Koji whipped around and looked up at his father, pointing and grunting loudly at the staircase.

"What?" Inuyasha asked him. "What do you want?"

Koji put his hands on the stairs and smacked it, grunting loudly again.

Grandpa walked up the first few steps. "I think he wants to come upstairs."

Inuyasha picked up Koji, tucking him under his arm face down to the floor. "Let's go then."

At the top of the stairs, Inuyasha put Koji down on his feet, careful to keep himself between the toddler and the staircase.

Koji, once his feet were under him, ran full force down the hallway and into Souta's open door. Shrieking in delight at finding the younger man, Koji jumped up and down the doorway.

Souta turned in his chair to look at the surprise visitor. "Oh yeah?" he asked the toddler. "What's going on?"

As soon as he received some sort of acknowledgement from Souta, Koji streaked across the room and scrambled up into his lap, using his new-found height to investigate the desk before him.

"Are you going to help me with my homework?" Souta asked the boy in his lap. "Are you a math wizard?"

Inuyasha walked over to his son and Souta, extending his hands to gather up the energetic toddler. "Come here, you," Inuyasha spoke to Koji. "Let him get his work done."

"Ah he's fine, Inuyasha." Souta took an offered pencil from the boy, saying a quiet _Thank you!_. "I needed a break anyways. Why don't you go hang out with Grandpa?" Souta looked over at his grandfather who was still in the doorway. "Weren't there things you needed help with, Gramps?"

Grandpa agreed with Souta, but Inuyasha hesitated to leave Koji behind.

"He'll be fine," Souta assured the nervous father. "I've got him."

Inuyasha saw how relaxed Koji was Souta, and reasoned that it should be okay. "Shout if you need me," he told the teenager.

Souta agreed and waved him off. Inuyasha followed Grandpa, giving one last glance at his son, who didn't even notice his departure.

Grandpa patted Inuyasha's back before grabbing his arm for balance when going down the stairs. "You worry too much."

Inuyasha walked slowly to accommodate the elder's pace. "Yeah," he agreed, "maybe I do."


	18. Chapter 18

Disclaimer: I do not own _Inuyasha,_ nor am I making profit from this story. All rights belong to their respective owners.

As it grew closer to night fall, Inuyasha felt his strength finally slip away, along with all of his senses. Thankfully, Grandpa had only needed his height, not strength, for sorting out the shed. Inuyasha set the last vase on the top shelf before he heard Kagome calling them in for dinner.

He walked slowly behind Grandpa, listening to the old man talk about the new baby that had been borne to some patrons recently and the shrine visits of late.

Entering the house, he paused to wipe his feet before helping Grandpa get his shoes off.

He wasn't sure the older man needed the help, but he didn't reject it ether.

Kagome nodded at Inuyasha as the two of them entered the dining room, and Inuyasha nodded back.

"Can you go get Koji and Souta?" Kagome asked her husband.

Inuyasha didn't acknowledge the request verbally, instead just turning to go upstairs.

Inuyasha walked into Souta's room, where the toddler was still sitting on his uncle's lap. "Was he good for you?" Inuyasha asked.

Koji looked over his shoulder at his father when he heard his voice, giving him a big smile. As soon as Koji lifted his arms up in the air, Inuyasha scooped him up and held him close. While it had only been a very brief amount of time they had been separated, it had felt long since they were rarely apart.

Souta smiled up at his brother-in-law. "Yeah, he was helping me with my math. Weren't you, little man?" Souta tickled the bottom of Koji's feet, causing the boy to squirm and squeal with joy.

"Good to hear," Inuyasha said as he bounced the boy up and down slightly in his arms. "Dinner's ready."

Souta stood, nodding his acknowledgement to Inuyasha's statement. Inuyasha turned, still holding Koji close, and walked out the door, Souta not far behind.

Kagome and Mama Higurashi had set up the dinner table while Inuyasha was collecting the boys. The very simple meal of grilled fish, rice, and several appeasing smelling side dishes gather Koji's attention very quickly. He squirmed viciously in Inuyasha's arms, trying to gain access to the food as quickly as possible.

Inuyasha sat cross-legged, placing Koji in his lap and trying to keep him from toppling the dishes in his excitement to get to the food. Grandpa, despite Inuyasha's attempts to keep the food away from Koji until everyone was seated, started to give Koji small amount of rice with his chopsticks.

Koji used his fists to cram the food into his mouth.

"Koji, are you making mochi with your rice?" Kagome teased her son as she sat next to her husband.

Koji looked over at her when she spoke, chewing loudly on the food in his mouth.

Once the rest of the family was seated, and Souta laughing at his nephew's antics, Inuyasha put the side dishes close enough for Koji to grab some while Kagome pulled the fish apart into smaller pieces, removing the bones so Koji wouldn't choke.

Koji shoveled food into his mouth as normal, getting just as much into his body as he got onto his and his father's clothes. Inuyasha and Kagome took small bites here and there, wanting Koji to have his fill more than them.

Koji made a mad scramble for Grandpa's rice again, this time very determined to eat that particular bowl and not the one his father had tried to put into his grasp. As his little fist made contact with the rice, Kagome tried to pull his hand away, but a fistful went with the offending appendage.

"Oh Grandpa, I'm sorry." Kagome took her untouched bowl and moved it towards her grandfather. "Here, have this one. I'll eat the one he touched."

Grandpa laughed loudly, a sound that both fascinated and started Koji. The smaller child leaned forward, his red ears peaking up and standing at alert from the sound.

"You say that as if this is the first time I've eaten with a child." Grandpa offered more of his food to Koji, who was happy to oblige and take it. "You used to do the same things to me when you were little, Kagome."

Kagome felt the heat of an embarrassed blush creep up her ears and cheeks.

Grandpa continued, paying no mind to Kagome's embarrassment, "Why yes, it has been quite a while since I've had this much entertainment at a meal."

Koji, despite not understanding what was going on, was gleeful for the attention and extra food and flashed a big, bright smile at his great-grandfather. Grandpa returned the smile, leaning his face towards to rub noses with the toddler.

Koji's eyes went wide at the contact, but he didn't pull away.

Grandpa did however, touching one finger to the end of his nose. "Why," he exclaimed, "he's got a wet nose!"

Inuyasha snorted loudly. "Yeah, he's a dog demon."

Souta asked from across the table, "Do you have a wet nose, Inuyasha?"

"Well, yeah."

Kagome added, "Not right now you don't."

Inuyasha shrugged, picking up some food from his leg to eat it. The action caused Koji to look down, and, upon seeing the treasure trove of food on his father's pant leg, started to eat it as well. Kagome shot Inuyasha an unamused look that he ignored.

Mama patted Kagome's arm tenderly, before speaking. "Oh, that's just what dads and their kids do, Kagome. Don't be too upset by them eating dropped food." She addressed Inuyasha next. "Why isn't your nose wet now?"

"It's my human night. I start to lose a lot of my demon features as the day goes on."

Mama nodded understandingly. "Right. I apologize. I forgot about that."

Inuyasha pulled a piece of lint from Koji's hand to prevent him from eating it. "The transformation will start soon. You'd have remembered then."

Mama smiled at Inuyasha's attempt to comfort her, looking tenderly over at Kagome who was trying to bribe Koji into eating some fish. "You two have grown up so much…" she whispered out.

Kagome paused, still holding up the fish in her chopsticks by Koji's face, not that the boy was paying any attention to it. "You think so?" she asked her mother.

"Yes. I can tell how much you've grown just from becoming his parents."

Grandpa agreed. "You two are much more mellow, too. The hotheadedness is just about gone from both of you."

"Don't know what you're talking about, old man. I was never hotheaded." Inuyasha's comment earned him a stare from his wife.

Kagome looked at Inuyasha, wanting to scold him for his stubbornness. But, Inuyasha, sensing his wife's look, gave her a smile that reached his eyes. He was teasing her.

Kagome rolled her eyes and tried to get Koji's attention away from the rice and seaweed on his father's lap to eat something other than dropped food. Koji finally looked over at her, took the fish in his hand, shoved it into his mouth, and returned to picking up singular rice grains from his father's pants.

Kagome sighed in defeat. There was no pulling Koji's attention away from eating the remnants on Inuyasha's leg. "I guess," Kagome spoke, returning to her mother's comments from before, "the world seems so different with him in it. Like there's no reason to argue; he's healthy. There's no reason to be mad; he's growing up just fine. He relies so heavily on us for daily needs and survival, that the little things that used to annoy me just don't matter as much anymore."

Kagome looked over at her mother. "I think that's what parenthood is supposed to do, right?"

Her mother nodded, smiling softly at her daughter across the table. "Yes," she responded softly. "That's what parenthood does."

Their attention was drawn away from the conversation at hand as Inuyasha's body thumped, his blood rushing with the beginnings of his transformation. Koji was startled from eating and looked up, twisting his body all the way around to look up at his father.

Inuyasha looked back at Koji, scrunching up his face to hopefully distract the toddler from the transformation happening, but Koji paid no attention to the look that usually made him laugh.

As Inuyasha's ears retreated from the top of his head into the lower half, going from furry triangles to plain human ears, Koji lurched to grab the top of his father's head in concern.

"They're not there anymore, kiddo." Inuyasha tilted his head down so Koji could thoroughly investigate his scalp.

Koji shrieked in horror as Inuyasha's hair, starting from the root, turned pitch black, and he grabbed on as hard as he could. Inuyasha yelped from the pain and Kagome rushed to pull Koji's hands from her husband's head.

"Not so hard, baby!" Kagome used her finger to wedge Koji's fist out of Inuyasha's locks. "That hurts!"

Inuyasha, once Kagome had loosened Koji's grip enough for him to pull away, raised his head up, giving Koji a stern look. "What? You act like you've never seen this before," he said flatly.

"Maybe he hasn't." Kagome went to take Koji from Inuyasha, but the toddler pulled away from her grasp. "Maybe he's never seen what he looks like on his human night."

Inuyasha cast a sideways glance at his wife, considering her words. Koji's life before them was all but unknown, and on his human night not too long ago, he hadn't been near anything that would have allowed him to see his reflection.

Perhaps she was right, he thought. Perhaps Koji's never seen what a hanyou's transformation looked like – just felt it.

Inuyasha eyes, now a soft gray instead of a blazing gold, took in Koji's body language. He had grabbed his father's front when he was forced to let of his hair, his body ridged and eyes wide. He was taking in the sight of his father's appearance, frightened by the change.

Inuyasha pulled Koji close, patting his back and humming to him once he saw the welling of tears in his son's eyes.

"Hey now," he spoke softly, rubbing the tiny back that was barely bigger than both of his hands, "why are you crying?"

Koji whimpered, burying his face into Inuyasha chest and rubbing his nose harshly on the firerat robe.

Inuyasha gave Kagome a confused glance, hoping she could clear up his confusion.

"Maybe he's scared for you? He knows how terrifying the experience is first hand."

Inuyasha shook his head. "There's no need for any of this though."

"Perhaps so," Mama's voice flittered from the other side of the table, "but he's young and everything is very new to him."

Inuyasha lifted his gaze to his mother-in-law and considered her words very carefully. He sighed to himself, lifting Koji up to his shoulder and cuddling him. Koji accepted the change of position readily, pressing his face firmly into the crook of his father's neck. Inuyasha was at a loss for words, unsure of how to offer the small child comfort or relief from his distress.

Kagome scooted closer to place her head by Koji's on Inuyasha's shoulder and put her hands on both her husband and child's back. Koji let out a soft, shuddering sigh at his mother's contact, his body still trembling.

Mama asked Souta for help cleaning up the dinner table, telling Kagome she would set aside food for the three of them to eat later. Kagome nodded her thanks, not moving from her husband's side. Koji's body continued to shake slightly in Inuyasha's embrace.

Inuyasha confessed to his wife, "I don't know what to do."

Kagome kissed his shoulder. "That's okay. We'll figure it out together. Right now, we'll just be."

Inuyasha was thankful for Kagome's unwavering resolve. His mind whirled with all the ways he was, in that moment, he was failing Koji as a father. He couldn't offer any sort of comfort to his child, and it was his condition that was scaring the boy. What kind of father allowed his child to remain frightened?

Kagome's soft embrace on both of them stilled his worries for the time. He wanted to tell Kagome about his worries and fears, but he didn't know how. He had never had a family he could rely on, and now that he did, he often didn't know how to ask for help.

But Kagome's constant presence and love eased his mind enough for him to just be, like she had said.

Koji, after a while, lifted his head up from Inuyasha's shoulder and touched Inuyasha's face to look at him. Inuyasha saw the welling of tears still just sitting on the surface of Koji's eyes, the brown irises boring into his. Koji patted the side of Inuyasha's face gently, in the same way Inuyasha sometimes did when Koji was upset or overly tired.

Inuyasha blinked at the contact, feeling the tiny palm smack softly against his face. Koji leaned forward to kiss Inuyasha's cheek before resuming patting the side of his father's face.

Inuyasha smiled, recognizing that Koji was trying to offer the same kind of comfort he received. He leaned his head down to press their foreheads together, rubbing them softly and mussing up Koji's fine hair.

"Thanks, bud," he spoke softly to his son.

Kagome's heart nearly burst at the sight of Koji's affection for his father. It must all be very confusing for the poor child, trying to figure out what was going on with Inuyasha. But still, despite his confusion and fear, Koji was trying to offer Inuyasha some sort of comfort himself.

She wondered whatever they had done in their lives to deserve such a loving child.

Koji placed his head back down, satisfied that he had soothed his father's worry for the time being, and sniffled lightly. He rubbed his eyes with one hand, the other reaching behind Inuyasha's neck to hold onto his other shoulder.

Grandpa, who had been watching the whole exchange with gentle interest, look the peace and the relaxed state of the boy as a sign that the stressful events were over. Reaching into the cabinet next to the wall, Grandpa pulled out the television remote and turn it on. The slight rumble of static perked Koji's ears up, and the sudden talking of a news report put the boy on full alert.

Koji's head shot up from his father's shoulder and he looked at the television in confusion. His ears twitched and flicked back and forth. He tilted his head left and right, assessing the sounds he was hearing from the box across the room.

Kagome watched him as he stared at the television. She remembered the first time Inuyasha had seen a new report. He had stalked around the room looking for where the person was hiding, and had moved the TV around to confirm the man wasn't in the room. He had asked Kagome how this man knew about the weather, and how he was talking to them, urgent in his demands.

Inuyasha had come to accept that technology of the future was beyond his understanding, but had come to enjoy the past time of watching a program with Souta or Grandpa while Kagome was at school.

She saw the same wonder and fascination that Inuyasha had experienced play across Koji's face.

Koji squirmed to get out Inuyasha's arms, moving to stalk across the floor and around the table. He watched the face of the man on the television intently, the same way he watched Inuyasha when they played together.

As the man moved on to the local news, including the breaking ground ceremony that had happened earlier in the day, Koji moved suddenly to stand before the screen.

He stood, tense and rigid in front of the large screen, his body ready.

"He's not going to notice you, Koji," Inuyasha called to his son. "He's not in the room."

Koji side stepped to get out of the line of vision of the man on the television before turning to look at his father. He looked back and forth between the screen and his father, as if asking what was going on.

The screen flashed clips of the breaking ground ceremony, dozens of people lined up to watch the event and a priest in a large hat and heavily decorated robes began a blessing chant over the ground. As soon as the priest appeared on the screen, Koji's body froze and his eyes remained on the man.

As soon as the camera panned over to the crowd, the toddler scrambled to run back to his father before the priest appeared on the television again. Climbing up to cling to Inuyasha's torso, Koji looked over his shoulder at the image of the blessing ceremony. When the priest came up again, Koji buried his head into Inuyasha's shoulder, whimpering in fear.

Kagome rubbed Koji's back, placing her hand just under Inuyasha's one that had rose to hold the boy close to him. "It's okay, baby," Kagome murmured. "He's not here."

As soon as Koji had run into his father's arms, his great-grandfather had pulled up the remote and was in the process of switching the channel to a rerun of Pokémon. The change of sounds, especially the Pokémon's noises, caused Koji to lift his head up.

He returned his attention to the television and watched as Pikachu and Squirtle moved across the screen. Once again, he stood and approached the source of his fascination slowly, moving around the furniture and moving his head which way and that to get a better idea of the sounds he was hearing.

The animation was intriguing to him, and he patting the screen with sticky hands, leaving a residue to finger and hand prints over the surface. Kagome made a mental note to clean that up once the boy had gone to bed.

"Is he afraid of priests?" Grandpa asked the parents once Koji's attention was raptured by the television and the Pokémon.

Kagome shrugged. "Apparently so. We don't know the extent of what he went through, or what he's afraid of."

Inuyasha stretched his legs out under the kotatsu, enjoying the warmth and return of blood flow. "He could have been attacked by a priest. I was when I was young, before I left the village."

"Attacked? Why?" Kagome twisted her body to get a better look at Inuyasha. "Why would a priest attack a child?"

Inuyasha kept his gaze on his son who was now circling the TV stand, looking for the things on the screen in the room. "Because," Inuyasha spoke slowly, feeling a familiar pang in his chest, "the child is half demon. Priests only protect humans."

Realizing her mistake, Kagome shifted to face forward and look at Koji, who was unfazed by the attention he was receiving from the other people in the room. Sometimes Kagome still forgot that there were people who would harm her husband and son just for existing.

"Well," Grandpa announced, shattering the silence that had overcome the room, "no priest will bother my great-grandson at my shrine."

Kagome's mind went back to when Grandpa had thrown seals at Inuyasha and tried to cast him out, but her mouth remained shut. No point in poking an old bear, especially since Inuyasha bore no grudge from the past.

But the ticking of the side of Inuyasha's mouth was clear sign that he had thought something similar to Kagome.

Souta walked past the room and saw Koji watching the Pokémon battle on the screen. He crossed to sit on the floor and watch the show with his nephew. "He's got good taste in shows," Souta said over his shoulder to his sister.

Koji, hearing Souta's voice, moved away from television to sit in Souta's lap, tossing his legs outwards and lounging. Souta leaned his back against the table and relaxed as well. Kagome chuckled to herself at the sight of her son and little brother hanging out watching anime together, taking a moment to rest her head back onto Inuyasha.

"They look cozy." Grandpa teased the two boys who were intent on watching the show.

"Yeah," Kagome agreed. "That's all I could ask for, too."

Two episodes later and it was bed time for the little boy. Souta handed Koji off to his mother who was holding out her arms for him. Once she was holding Koji, she took a moment to snuggle him briefly, sorely missing his affection as he had spent most of the day in his father's arms. Inuyasha was in the kitchen, finishing up the meal he hadn't had a chance to eat earlier and talking to Mama.

Kagome began to walk upstairs to give Koji a bath and get him ready for the night when she heard the tell-tale _"Rowr?"_ of her cat emerge from her room.

"Buyo?" Kagome called up the stairs, and a soft, sad _"Merow?"_ echoed back. Koji lifted looked up the stairs, making eye contact with the large cat standing at the top of them. Kagome could feel the energy begin to rise in Koji's small body.

"You leave Buyo alone, Koji. Your father bothers him enough as it is." Kagome softly chastised her son as she walked up the stairs. Once she reached the top, Buyo scurried his way into her room again, his abrupt departure giving Koji a reason to try to give chase.

But Kagome didn't let the toddler escape her, holding him steady as he moved around to get down. "Nuh uh. It's bath time."

Koji knew that word and stilled, giving his mother a pitiful face. Kagome shook her head, and walked into the bathroom with him.

The water was warmer than the river, and Koji didn't protest nearly as much as he usually did when Kagome bathed him. His attention was kept by multitude of plastic bottles and other items in the bath that were foreign to him, so Kagome was able to wash him up quickly.

Inuyasha had knocked on the door just as she was finishing rinsing the boy off. As Inuyasha opened the door, Kagome asked, "Are you going to take a bath tonight?"

Inuyasha shrugged, holding out a towel to dry the toddler off.

Kagome knew to take that as a no.

As soon as Koji saw his father, his face lit up and he tried to make a break for him. Inuyasha stepped in and scooped Koji up in a towel before he could run across the wet floor and hurt himself. "Hey there, long time, no see."

Koji huffed at Inuyasha and pulled himself close.

"I'll take him to your room while you're in the bath." Inuyasha exited the bathroom, a bundled boy in his arms. "Try not to stay in too long. You'll turn into a prune."

Kagome let out a dry, "Ha ha" at her husband's retreating back.

Once her bath was finished – and had managed to not turn into a prune – Kagome went to her room to find her boys sitting on her bed, inspecting one of her old cram books.

"Witches spells, Koji," Inuyasha told his son. "These are witches spells."

Kagome pulled on her nightclothes, snorting at the comment. "No, I'm pretty sure that's just algebra."

Inuyasha's eyes sparkled as he looked up at his wife. Kagome cocked one eyebrow up at him. "No," he continued to tell Koji, "these are witches spells."

Exasperated, but not upset, Kagome rolled her eyes and sat on the bed by them. Inuyasha closed the book and placed it on her night stand. As he stood, Kagome scooted to sit under the covers and held her arms out for Koji. Inuyasha tried to put him down to sleep next to Kagome, but Koji pulled hard against Inuyasha and wouldn't budge.

While it did sting that Koji wouldn't go to her, Kagome took the opportunity to tell Inuyasha, "Looks like you have to squeeze on with us."

Inuyasha snorted. "Can't. Fat cat takes up too much room," he said, referring to Buyo who was at the foot of the bed and not budging.

It was his bed, damnit.

Kagome shook her head. "There's enough room for the four of us."

Inuyasha stared at Buyo's head, but the cat kept his eyes shut and didn't move. Sighing and resigning himself to squishing on the bed and having to maneuver around the fat animal, Inuyasha swatted Kagome's side to get her to move over.

She wiggled to the other side of the bed and lifted the covers for Inuyasha and Koji to climb in.

Inuyasha was only able to fit one leg on the bed due to the way Buyo was sprawled out, so he laid back, half on the mattress, half off.

"Oh yeah," he told his wife. "Real comfortable."

Kagome smiled at him and moved to curl into his side. "He'll move soon enough."

Inuyasha shook his head while moving Koji to rest in between them. Koji slid happily over into his usual sleeping spot nestled between his parents. Before Inuyasha was able to make a snide comment back at Kagome, Buyo stood and walked up to lay on Inuyasha's now free chest.

Taking a moment to get all the way onto the mattress, Inuyasha told Buyo, "That wasn't an invitation."

Buyo purred loudly, dropping his head and closing his eyes, quick to fall asleep once again. Koji lifted his hand to pat the fat cat laying on his father's chest, before closing his eyes and succumbing to sleep as well.

Closing her eyes, enjoying the feeling of her most beloved people sleeping close to her, Kagome yawned out, "He's just getting even."

Kissing the top of Koji's head, Buyo's face, and then Inuyasha's lips, Kagome whispered, "Good night, my boys."

She received no response, but she felt the love radiate back.


End file.
